202-239-8250

I got a message froma man named john snyder(I think that's what he said)it was very hard to understand him with his middle eastern accent. Claimed I was named in a lawsuit with the last 4 of my ssn. Said he was from the criminal investigation department, but didn't say who the siut was from. I needed to call and get it resolved or they would call the local law dept. I have never received anything by mail about a default account of any kind. I'm not sure if this is a scam or not, but it doesn't sound legit.

This is a scam..for some reasons they got people's last ssn not the whole number. Collectors in the US don't threat anyone because they are affraid of lawsuit. I got the same thing, but because his name is James something he's not from the bureau department..these people have nothing to do but calling people for money. Just ignore the phone call or hang up. They are thieves that the US are looking for. I know they have my ss#, but they can't do anything about it because they don't have all the information. Someone named James F$#% called and left me a message stated that they had a lawsuit against me, and that's all. Here's the number they left 202-239-8250 FAKE!!

I got a call from this number today saying there was a criminal lawsuit in which I had been named in. First of all lawsuits are civil and not criminal, first red flag. Second,and not to be offensive, but a guy named John Snyder more than likely wouldn't have a middle eastern accent. Third even if there was a any type of lawsuit filed you are served either by certified mail or in person from a Sheriff's Deputy. This is a total scam, and they are not even smart about. Just don't answer or if you do tell them to get bent.

They keep calling me from this number saying they are fron the division of criminal investigation. Different names, none of which I can undrstand. I asked for something in writing and they threatened me

You're probably talking to an Indian or Pakistani fraudster. They're powerless. They talk big...that's it. If he threatens you just tell him to take his little unit out & try to scare a soggy Cheerio with it. They might become a nuisance. Even at work. Ignore him. He'll go away as soon as he figures out there's no money to be had.
Live Well.
Gunnar

2 phone calls in the last 7 days from this number.  One from " chief investigator Michael" and "Chief investigator John Snyder" Only thing that worries me is they have my bank account number.  I will have this all resolved monday

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

I just received the same voice mail from a John Synder, very hard to understand him. Said he was with criminal investigation or something like that. Said that I needed to call him or they would contact my place of employment. This always make me worry

I just got a call yesterday from 202-239-8250 saying it was a criminal investigator named Luke Marshall (a great Pakistani name :) and he told me that there was a lawsuit against me and that if I did not call him back that he would have a local officer at my door to arrest me.  Of course my heart stopped a bit as I had never received anything the mail about a lawsuit.  After not sleeping all night because of this, I decided to become and "investigator" of my own which is where I found this website and thank God I did.  He will NOT be getting a call from me!  Thank you all for sharing your stories!  Makes me feel 100 percent better!  You could also hear guys in the background doing the same thing!

I just got about 5 calls in a row on my cell phone from this number. I didn't answer because Im at work. BUT then they called my work number. We have caller ID on our work phones and that same number appeared so I answered it. The man asked for me, but I said "No one by that name works here!" I was just very freaked about what this was. He then says his name, which I don't remember what he said, and asked to speak with the office manager and then the call was disconnected. I then googled the number and I found this site. I did do a payday loan a while ago so I guess this is how they got my info???? I am so scared now. Are they going to continue to call my job? I want to call the number back and tell them that I am aware that this is a scam and I will be reporting them, but Im afraid that will make them keep harassing me....what can I do about this to get them to stop?

Keep on getting calls from a Mr.marshal Luke very rude India accent. Scam told him I Reported to my authority called me names n hung up on me

Keep on getting calls from a Mr.marshal Luke very rude India accent. Scam told him I Reported to my authority called me names n hung up on me

So I was receiving phone calls to my work requesting I return the call ASAP. The guys name was Frank. When I got back to work I got the message and my employee was totally freaked out because "Frank" made it seem like he was with this huge criminals recovery unit. I called the number (202)239-8250 and asked for Frank. The operator I spoke to asked me for my name. I told him my name is not important, Frank called me and I am to speak with him immediately. shortly I was directed to a Luke Marshall. I asked him I needed Frank and he told me Frank is one of his field officers and not available. So I asked who it was I was speaking to. He replied that he is Franks superior. So I said ok good so I guess I have a respectable guy on the line, first off I need your badge number and address. He said " look that's not important, bottom line is you owe money and unless you pay today you will be charged and arrested." I demanded his address and he gave me washing D.C. but not the street address. He then grew frustrated and hung up on me. I gladly continued to harass him call after call. He totally broke after the 16th call from me and grew really upset and threatened to put me in jail. I told him that he BETTER be the one who slaps the cuffs on me because I'd love to see his F*$%^#& A%% try. In the middle of all his babbling I told him I have a detective sitting next to me and that he would like a final word with him. I put the phone down for a brief moment and changed my voice in a deeper manner and the idiot fell for it. He flaked and softened his voice like the girl he was. the "Detective" ;) told him I finally know where your "call center" is in India and that he better begin running because his team just touched down in his country. Mr. Big Shot Luke Marshall freaked out and said he's sorry and hung up! OHHHHH time well spent.

I , like the rest of you, have also received a call from a Luke Marshall, demanding that I owe him money and that if I didn't pay I was going to be arrested! What a joke, I've never received a pay day loan, I've applied for one but back out because I was afraid of people like this! What a joke, hes called me 3 times since December,2013 up until yesterday 1/21/14! I've already called my local police department the first time because I ALMOST fell for it!

I also have been receiving calls from this number . I get three or four a day but it's a woman calling me with an Indian accent. this is bs they need to catch these people. I am tired of answering my phone every 15 minutes.

I had gotten a call from 202-239-8250. I do not know who it is from.

I have gotten a call this morning from 202-239-8250 the number appears to be calling from Wasington D.C.
so I listened to the message that he left saying that I'm invoved in a lawsuit and that i needed to call him back or the authorities will be at my door this afternoon if he do not recieve a call back from me right away.I couldnt really understand what all he sais but i heard very clearly about getting a warrent for my arrest. So i calle the number back and he asked what my name was and i told him he then proceeded to to tell me about i owe money to a loan company and i asked what loan company since i had recently applied for a pay day loan.When he told me that the loan company was called U.S Loan I told him that was [***] that i dont have any loan with that company or i have never applied for a loan through that company he proceeded to ask me am i denying that i owe the money and I said yes then he said well we will have you arrested andt aken to court so i was like i dont owe anything to that company so sue me and i hung up.Now i have to call my bank, check my credit ,call FTC for help cause just those 4 numbers of my social is to much for them to have. I probably need to talk to the company i did get the loan from to see if they are givimg my information. But this is rediculous especially if this fake company is actually in India. After all is how is [***] like this happnening from over seas if the government is constanly keeping tabs on everything we do.

Threatened with arrest because I owe some cash advance place $300.00. Has the last 4 digits of my ssn and credit union bank account number. I do not owe anybody anything and I told the person calling that I could prove it! He kept hanging up on me and told me not to call anymore.  He said he was from the DC Bureau of Criminal Investigations! They don't have a website with the above number.

I received a phone call at work today (I answer the incoming calls in the office) and said that the person he was looking for was not in today, but, of course, I was.  So I called that number when I got home.  He said his name was Luke Marshall, and there is a lawsuit against me because I owe money to a cash-advance company which I do NOT!  I NEVER applied to one of those companies, nor did I EVER receive any money from one of those companies.  I  told him he was a liar and this whole thing is a TOTAL SCAM.  I also threatened to report him, and he said, "go ahead report me."  I also added that if you EVER call me again, at home OR at my place of employment, I will contact my attorney.  A few minutes later, he called me on my home phone number.  I have a feeling, he's not finished, and he's going to continue to harass me.  Well, we can ALWAYS change our phone numbers.  It might be the only way to get them to stop.

I just got the same call from the same person he left a mesage saying that I was going to jail  and that I had a warrant  out for my arrest