The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, is warning consumers to be on the alert for scam artists posing as debt collectors. It may be hard to tell the difference between a legitimate debt collector and a fake one. Sometimes a fake collector may even have some of your personal information, like a bank account number. A caller may be a fake debt collector if he:

?is seeking payment on a debt for a loan you do not recognize;
?refuses to give you a mailing address or phone number;
?asks you for personal financial or sensitive information; or
?exerts high pressure to try to scare you into paying, such as threatening to have you arrested or to report you to a law enforcement agency.

If you think that a caller may be a fake debt collector:

?Ask the caller for his name, company, street address, and telephone number. Tell the caller that you refuse to discuss any debt until you get a written "validation notice." The notice must include the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor you owe, and your rights under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
If a caller refuses to give you all of this information, do not pay! Paying a fake debt collector will not always make them go away. They may make up another debt to try to get more money from you.?Stop speaking with the caller. If you have the caller's address, send a letter demanding that the caller stop contacting you, and keep a copy for your files. By law, real debt collectors must stop calling you if you ask them to in writing.
?Do not give the caller personal financial or other sensitive information. Never give out or confirm personal financial or other sensitive information like your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number unless you know whom you're dealing with. Scam artists, like fake debt collectors, can use your information to commit identity theft ? charging your existing credit cards, opening new credit card, checking, or savings accounts, writing fraudulent checks, or taking out loans in your name.
?Contact your creditor. If the debt is legitimate ? but you think the collector may not be ? contact your creditor about the calls. Share the information you have about the suspicious calls and find out who, if anyone, the creditor has authorized to collect the debt.
?Report the call. Contact the FTC and your state Attorney General's office with information about suspicious callers. Many states have their own debt collection laws in addition to the federal FDCPA. Your Attorney General's office can help you determine your rights under your state's law.

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors

Lisa "Sensor" with Pre-trial Investigations w/ "Robins & Associates", where she lied and said I had "malicious intent to defraud a financial institution -- aka, a bad check".  I do not write checks -- ever.  Nor have I tried to defraud a financial institution at all, ever.  Lisa then went further with her lies saying that "they" had a process server in my area ready to serve me, at which time they would not be able to "help me further."  If this *were* a pre-trial investigation no warrants would have been issued or served -- especially by a collection agency.  (Please don't mess with someone that knows the law.)

I am blocking this number on my telephone. Thank goodness I have that option.  What dingleberries!

This same number has been calling my phone and saying the same thing for months. I stopped picking up my phone.

I continue to receive phone calls looking for "Daisy Fallentes" which is NOT me and its extremely irritating!  This company doesn't stop when they are told wrong number.

Call today in my cell .

Hello,  this is a message for One. If you are not. lease disconnect the call by continuing to listen to this message. You acknowledge that you are. this is Melinda, yeah Mercantile I just missed your Contact me about an important personal business matter at  855  226 1876 communication is from a debt collector. This is an attempt to collect a debt yeah. Any information obtained, will be used for that purpose.

Merchantile Credit Bureau (Debt Collector) stop calling my home, I don't know you or owe you anything.  The caller calls everyday, all day long and never leaves a message.  Remove yourself from my phone number.

They called and left a message.  Here is the text of the message: "Hello this is a message for [XXYY]. If you are not [XXYY] please disconnect this call. By continuing to listen to this message you acknowledge that you are [XXYY] this is Jacob Jenkins from Mercantile adjustment Bureau. Please contact me about an important personal business matter at 18552261876. This communication is from a debt collector. This is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose."
I called them back as my husband and I have perfect credit and owe no debt to anyone.  They asked me to verify the last four digits of my social security number, and I told them I would not since I don't know who they are or what creditor they represent.  The woman got EXTREMELY nasty with me and refused to tell me who the creditor was.  She transferred me to a "supervisor" who then hung up on me.  This is a HUGE scam place.  Do NOT give them your personal information!!!

Got the same call but no one on the other side, just dead air.
We pay our bills and have great credit. Not sure what they want

I called the credit bureau back and told them I am not the person called.  They said they[ll take me off their list.  We shall see.

Same story.  Hung up half a dozen times.  This time, I wasn't home and my voicemail listened to the whole recording.  The name they want is indecipherable.  It sounded like the name of the "Spice Agent" on "Bitchen Kitchen."  (I know, obscure reference, trust me.) Soon, they will be dealing with Oregon's Attorney General, he has a division for that.

Have been on "Do Not Call Register " for months, Would love to get the chance to sue these A***OLES and all the rest of the stupid bunch of jerkoffs that their only purpose in life is to make useless phone calls.

I have been getting calls from them for several years.  I did get a human at one point, and explained that I was not the person they were looking for, it was a waste of time, etc.  The man got all huffy with me and kept calling me by the name of the person they were looking for. Told me just pay my bills, etc. I reported it, but they still calll often.

I keep getting phone calls from this number, at least once per day. I always receive a recording "this message is for Sara Johnson, if you are not Sara Johnson please hang up"

I too have also be getting calls for them. They keep looking for an Emily Neil or someone like that.  I Keep getting calls from them. Ugh.

Oh by the way, if anyone knows an Emily Neil or Emily Wolfe, or Emily whatever she is still using my number and she owes a lot of people money.

Get continuing calls from this number looking for "Taa Jaw Jones".  States that if you're not this person to hang up.  If you don't hang up, it assumes you are legally this person.  The calls do not stop if you hang up.  Called the number back to find out that it is the Mercantile Adjustment Bureau making the call.  After an internet search, I've learned this is a debt collector - real or not, I do not know and do not care.  I have no debts and haven't for many years.

Got a call for someone who is not me from Mercantile Adjustment Bureau.  Tried several times to call number 855-226-1876 left in message, but get recording that call cannot be completed.  They are calling my work number and I don't know how they got it.

I have gotten several calls from this number with the message "THIS CALL IS FOR ROBERT J. NORTON, IF YOU ARE NOT ROBERT J. NORTON HANG UP".
I will be turning this number into the authorities.

Called today on my cell, left no message.  Called back, answering service said it was Mercantile Adjustment Bureau.  Googled for the name and found it is a collection agency.  I've never received anything from them and they didn't leave a message, so it must not be very important.  LOL.