This is a criminal extortion scam operating out of India. They are making the calls utilizing VOIP and the names of legitimate firms to make it appear the calls are originating from within the US. There is NO "company" or "debt" and you will NOT be arrested. They are harvesting and/or buying consumers' personal identifying information and you need to do whatever you can to protect yourself. This includes: Notifying the FTC: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/, placing fraud alerts with all three credit bureaus, notifying your bank and employer and letting these criminals know you are aware they are attempting to extort money for a non-existent debt and have alerted the authorities.

Read this investigative report ABC News did on this scam:

Hundreds of thousands of cash-strapped Americans have been targeted by abusive debt collectors operating out of overseas call centers suspected of links to organized crime in India, law enforcement officials told ABC News.

The calls are part of a massive scam, one that appears to target struggling Americans -- especially those who have gone online to apply for payday loans. Armed with personal information from those pilfered applications, the threatening callers, who claim to be debt collectors poised to initiate legal action, have managed to pry loose millions of dollars from their victims -- even when the victims never owed money in the first place.

"This is what we call a phantom debt collection scam," said Jon Leibowitz, the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission. "It's a very pernicious and innovative new fraud."

Working through call centers in India, the commission estimates that the criminals have dialed at least 2.5 million calls, persuading already cash-strapped victims to send them more than $5 million. Some have reported receiving dozens of calls per hour. They are victims like Cindy Gervais, of New Orleans, who went online for a quick loan when her husband's car was hit by a driver who didn't have insurance.

Even though she paid the loan off, the so-called "phantom" debt collectors with Indian accents began calling to say she still owed money.

"He more or less told me that if I didn't pay, they were going to have someone on my doorstep to arrest me," she told ABC News. "And that they were going to contact my place of business, and tell them what kind of person I am."

At first, she said she resisted. Then the calls became more frequent, and started to ring on her cell phone, and at the grocery distribution company where she had worked for 27 years.

"I was more or less in panic mode because he told me there would be someone before noon at my place of business to arrest me and take me to jail," she said tearfully. "So I agreed to pay him."

After receiving scores of complaints, investigators with the FTC said they began tracking the calls, and following the payments. They alleged the payments led them to a California company run by an Indian-American named Kirit Patel, and that such scams would not be possible without American front men.

"I would say that all roads of this scam, or many of the roads of this scam, lead back to Mr. Patel," said the FTC's Leibowitz.

ABC News tracked Patel for weeks, from the suburbs of San Francisco to Austin, Texas.

Patel refused to talk. But his lawyer, Mark Ellis, said he believes it is far too early to pass judgment on his client. Ellis, a Sacramento-based attorney, told ABC News that Patel was hired for a nominal fee to set up an American shell company, and had no idea what the call centers in India were doing.

"I can tell you, he was as snookered by the people in India as anybody," Ellis said. "He's a 69-year-old man who is nearing his retirement who thought all he had to do was set up some corporations and everything was on the up and up. He's completely dismayed that he has become the lightning rod of this entire problem."

A close friend of Patel's also defended him in a brief interview at his home, saying Patel was not trying to defraud anyone -- he was just an unwitting, bit player in a larger scheme.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/phantom-debt-co ... ory?id=16512428

These people are rogue debt collectors and they are frauds, they get your personal information if you have either applied or else defaulted on online payday day loans.  They  will try to say you broke several laws like check fraud and you will be arrested.  The clown that called me claimed his name was Guy Smith from Patterson law firm and they have me on 3 felony charges and I will be arrested in the morning.  It's all BS They are trying to scare you into paying money.  I actually Googled Patterson Law Firm which is in Chicago and I called them and they told me it's a scam and they are aware of these clowns using there name.  Don't let them intimidate you they can't do anything to you.

called my cell phone and state I was being sued asked for my information would not tell me who was suing me

I received a call saying I was getting sued and he wanted my information he called my cell phone what can I do?

If this guy calls, let it go to voicemail. Then call him back and tell him you know your rights and responsibilites and that you contacted the attorney Generals ioffice. This will deter them from calling again.

Call the guy back and tell him know your rights and responsibilities and you have turned him into the attorney Generals office. Or just ignore it.

Please do file reports with the FBI, your state attorney general and Department Of Justice,CFB,FTC & FCC..

http://www.nw3c.org/
http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
http://www.fbi.gov/
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#&panel1-1
https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form1088.action
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/

Also read up on the laws and your rights:

http://800notes.com/arts/Jb8EW-eDhQA/harassin ... ou-need-to-know
See Residents post here also:
http://800notes.com/forum/ta-34af6a034ba34b6/unending-collection-calls
Templates of Letters:
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-319-242-7350

http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpajump.shtm
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/search ...
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0096-fair-credit-reporting-act.pdf
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0149-debt-collection

And see:
http://800notes.com/forum/ta-944ec1426a8bcbb/ ... service-attacks
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http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/ ... r-phones/ndF4c/
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http://www.net-security.org/article.php?id=1828
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http://800notes.com/forum/ta-86217073a9c8dad/ ... 077595690349410
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http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors
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http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/pressreleases/extortion_scam.htm
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http://www.fdcpa.me/fake-process-server-injunction/
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http://800notes.com/forum/ta-9413b3202bc8b6c/ ... net%27s-tactics

Just got a call from this number. Dude left a message as if he was reading from a script and still learning english. He identified himself as Shawn White from some "law firm"..but we all know that's b***s***! He proceeded to try to intimidate me, told me if I didn't return his call he would wish me all the luck. Anyways, the caller id said Russia..

I got a call from this guy and said they know my social security number and my bank account number, and that I will be going to jail so I told them why wait I'll call them right now and the guy said no no no don't do that and I hung up.

Thank goodness for caller ID!  If I don't recognize the caller I don't answer.  If it's important they will leave a message.  And yes, he did...the same guy with the terrible accent that's been calling everybody else.  Same, identical message.  AND.....he called five more times.  Hopefully he has given up on me.   "Silence is golden"

They keep calling my phone threaten me so hung up the phone in his face and now he won't stop calling my house..

WTF - this number just called my work 3x and my cell phone 2x in the last 5 minutes.  After reading these posts, I think I'll pick up for a good laugh.

I received a phone call at my job stating i was being sued for fraud, money laundering, etc. Called my cell & my job saying the cops were coming to arrest me if I didn't pay!!!! I am still waiting these people need a real job!!!!

I just receive the call stating that there were legal charges against me because I was soliciting and or stealing money from the loan company using my social security number. I then asked what were the charges and he told me there were seperate charges, one being check fraud and the other were unclear because of his heavy Arabic or Indian accent. "I then told him go ahead and file those charger while I file mines good day".!!!! Beware the (773)-423-2946#.

Tgus person by the name of Mark keeps calling claiming i am being sued im 16 im pretty sure im not old enough for that shiz wat do i do

This Brian dude is also calling my cell, he also calls from 3348191716.  He told me I owed money, gave the last four of a ss# & routing number for a checking acct which are not mine, he then asked if I worked for some off the wall company & when I told him no he asked me to give him my ss#, I told him he was effin crazy. He then accused me of using someones elses information to obtain the cash. When I started getting ugly with him, he said hope God can help you and good day.....click he was gone

I just got the same type of call.  They have been calling my number very regularly.  Finally I answered and told the person, that "don't worry, my attorney will be calling your office shortly".  A previous message ended with "if you don't return our call, well then Good Luck".  I feel so much better than there are other people getting these scam calls.

My boss just called and said Mark Anderson from Patterson Law Firm has been blowing him up all day saying he has an important legal matter with my name on it.  If these jerks cause me to lose my job because my boss thinks I'm involved in something shady, can I sue these people?

THIS MAN CALLED MY WORK NUMBER AND SAID HE WAS FROM THE LAW OFFICE OF ? AND IF I DID NOT SEND 300 DOLLARS TO KEEP FROM GOING TO JAIL THAT I WOULD BE ARRESTED TOMORROW MORNING.   I TOLD HIM I AINT SCARED BRING IT ON...

I got multiple calls from teh same guy as above indian accent or such but different white names telling me I have a lawsuit pending buyt wont give me any details. Tells me im getting fired and the police are coming to pick me up. Doesn't hang up on me, but won't quit calling, also got same sort of messages/calls from (401) 648-7436

They kept calling my mom until the indian guy left a nasty message on her voicemail so she called them back and flipped out on them and told the her brother was fbi and has her phone tapped... lets just say they havent called back since..

Have been getting class from this number and many others. Always the same guy heavy Indian accent but gives different American names leaves veiled threats just says extremely time sensitive and the very second I get the message I or my retained counsel need to call him back immediately. Also getting lots of other strange area code calls and Carribean phone scam calls.  WTH? I've reported this and other numbers to the FTC but they probably won't do anything. GRRRRR!

Has been calling my work cell and work phone for over a week leaving messages with veiled threats. Always the same voice with a heavy Indian accent but he gives a different American name (Jack Shepard, Aaron Rogers etc.) Very annoying. Same time these calls started I started get things tons of strange number phone calls and unknown calls. I've reported this guy to the FTC but they probably won't do anything.  GRRRRRR!

Received a threading call from a person named Brian Sturm representing the Patterson Law Firm telling me that I have legal actions against me. Does not give case number or what it pertains to nor what or where this issue happened. Has been calling my place of work and leaving messages or "if you ignore this I hope god can help, you will feel all ramifications come to you and get what you deserve".   So I told him I am not going to fall for your scam I have not done nothing wrong and have not been anywhere out of my city in 34years.... Then the infamous CLICK!    To say the least, I wasn't finished with him......

I recv'd a call from a man with an accent claiming he was calling from a law office and that I was getting sued by someone. Then he proceeded to try to identify me by my social. What do I do to report this?

JUST GOT THIS CALL TOO FROM A MAN AND WOMAN I COULDNT UNDERSTAND. AND HE HUNG UP ON ME THE FIRST TIME SO I WS NICE ENOUGH TO CALL BACK AND HE REACTION.  I TOLD U NOT TO F****NG HANG UP DIDNT I. VERY PISSED THEY HAVE MY CELL AND HOME NUMBER... CALLED POLICE DEPT. ON THEM

A man from this number called me claiming he was calling from the Law offices of New York investigators.  This man sound like he's in a largest city with an Arabic accent.  This person is a scammer.  Beware of this number 773-423-2946