315-294-9471

Received a call and LM stating must call back immediately as it is Time pressing matter.  Either myself or my attorney can contact regarding matter.  If I don't return call, then best of luck.  They then contacted me at my work.  I spoke with them, got 3 different "English" names John, Mark, and Jeff but all had middle eastern accents.  I could barely understand except that they were "debt" collectors on electronic fund deposits not paid.  I asked who they were collecting for and reference number and they only gave me name of company.  Asked them to fax "court doc" as I was "being sued" and they refused just stated that police would come to my place of work and escort me to court to meet with judge.  Called me a criminal.  Told them I could not google their law office in the city they gave me and they hung up.  I called the business they were collecting for and they had no record of my name or any such activity and was told that IF they were to collect a debt they had their own legal department that took care of that.  Best advice, try to get as much information from them as possible and then take it to your local police.

Does anyone have an actual company name for this phone number?  I was only able to determine that the 315 prefix is out of New York.  I called back and was threatened.  All horrible accents.

From Lamet's post:

If you are targeted by these criminals, be sure to report them to all the following federal and state law enforcement agencies (most of which you can do online or over the phone):
1.    The U.S. Secret Service is responsible for protecting the country's financial infrastructure and payment systems from international and domestic threats. Call or write your local Secret Service field office to alert them to the details of this attempted extortion. The addresses and phone numbers for the local Secret Service field offices are listed at http://www.secretservice.gov/field_offices.shtml or in your phone book.
2.    Alert the FBI at https://tips.fbi.gov Be sure to tell the FBI that you are being targeted by extortionists over the phone. And if the crooks claim to be law enforcement or lawyers, officers of the court or bankers, be sure to include that information in your report.
3.    File a complaint with your local police. Most police departments will take a report over the phone.  Be sure to tell them that you're being targeted by an extortionist and give them all the details.
4.    File a complaint your state's attorney general, the contact information for whom is at www.wvago.gov
5.    File a complaint online with The Federal Trade Commission at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/FTC_Wizard.aspx?Lang=en
If these crooks call back, promise them nothing, pay them nothing and tell them nothing other than that you know they're a scam and that you've reported them to law enforcement. (And be sure to report them to all the agencies above each time they call you.)

By the way, here's just a small sample of numbers used by this particular group of scammers. Read the reports and you'll see the same pattern time and again -- phony organization names, thick foreign accents, and oddly worded threats that are so melodramatic and ridiculous that it's laughable:


https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-771-9249   Scammer posting here as GARY and GARRY JONES
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-866-860-4509   Scammer posting here as Mike Henderson
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-212-500-0839   Scammer posting here as Ricky
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-201-244-7722   Scammer posting as Carole, David Brown and Amanda
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-626-200-4646   Scammer false postings at this new number as silshan kanniue and Tina – preparing a new number to use.
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-424-354-4270   Scammer false postings as Rose
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-785-4479   Scammer posting as Robert
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-909-327-4870   Scammer false postings as Marry
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-646-274-1143   Scammer false postings as Karen Miller, Chichi and Tom Little
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-561-300-8018   Scammer false postings as Marco Polo (real original)
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-877-226-7488   Scammer false postings as SAM, David S
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-706-7463   Scammer false postings as George
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-209-349-7382   Scammer false postings as Towanda Robinson, Shannon Walsh, Jack Dawson and Cynthia
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-760-514-0132   scammer false postings as Suzy01, Johanna Hall, Cindie McMellon, Michael Dublin, Mark Williams, Carol and Rio   (800notes removed some of the scammers posts because the all came from the SAME IP ADDRESS)
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-209-797-2212   scammer false posting as Jaison Connar
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-707-401-4056   Scammer false posting as John Carner, KSR
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-650-241-4604   Scammer false postings as jhon and Kevin
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-708-401-0535   Scammer false posting here as JHON
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-518-212-0219  Scammer false posting

************************************************************************************************************************
Consumer Alert: Attorney General warns Kansans of debt collection scam

January 29, 2010 -- Attorney General Steve Six is cautioning Kansas consumers about telephone calls from apparent fake debt collectors who are impersonating law enforcement officers in an effort to extort money from consumers.   Consumers are warned to not submit payments to these fraudulent debt collectors.

When calling, the scammers most often state they are attempting to collect a debt related to an internet payday loan obtained by the consumer, but which the consumer never repaid.  Consumers state they have never obtained such a loan or paid off the loan years ago.  The scam artists have most recently identified themselves as ACS, National Affidavit Processing Department and United Financial Crime Division, but may use additional phony names.  It appears the phone numbers used by the scammers are “spoofed” numbers, so that the number appearing on a consumer’s caller ID is not the actual number of where the call originated. It appears the calls in question may be originating from outside the United States.

When questioned, the individual calling refuses to disclose the full name or address of the collection agency they claim to represent.  These scammers have been able to provide consumers with identifying information, such as the consumer’s social security number, home address, e-mail address, names of family members and the consumer’s computer IP address.  Since the callers are able to provide valid personal information, consumers may become confused and believe they are being contacted in regard to a legitimate debt.

If the initial debt collection scam is unsuccessful, consumers have been re-contacted months later with the scammers posing as law enforcement officers or officers of the court.  Typically, the consumer is threatened with arrest for fraud or some other fictitious crime unless the consumer agrees to immediately wire money via Western Union.  The fictitious officers strive to frighten and confuse consumers into compliance by using legal sounding terms such as “We’re filing an affidavit against you” or by stating a lawsuit has been or is in the process of being filed against the consumer.

A hallmark of each scam has been calling consumers repeatedly at their place of employment.  This scam hit home when an employee of the Kansas Attorney General’s Office was repeatedly called both on her cell phone and at work.  Despite the employee’s repeated verbal disputes, the caller refused to provide any identifying information to allow her to send a written dispute. The scammer also continued to call her numerous times a day regarding a payday loan she denied obtaining. Two months later, she was again contacted by telephone by an individual identifying himself as an “officer”.

“I denied owing the debt and refused to pay without being provided validation of the debt. I was then told, ‘If that’s the case, I will have local law enforcement come to your place of business and drag you out kicking and screaming’,” stated the employee.

“It is important for consumers to know their rights under the law,” Attorney General Six said. “If a consumer is receiving calls from a debt collection company and believe it is a scam, I encourage them to contact our office immediately.”

Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), collectors are required to send consumers a written notice within five days of the initial contact.  The notification should contain  information such as the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed and a statement informing the consumer they have thirty days to contact the debtor in writing to dispute the debt or request validation of the debt. In addition, legitimate debt collectors are prohibited by the FDCPA from making false or misleading representations, such as the consumer has committed a crime, implying nonpayment will result in the consumer’s arrest, or using the threat of violence.

More information is available on the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre27.pdf.

To register a complaint with the Kansas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, call 1(800) 432-2310 or visit www.ksag.org.

http://www.ksag.org/page/consumer-alert-attor ... collection-scam

Hello,

I also had this same call on my cell phone and my place of work.  This should be against the law for people to do this.

I recieved a voicemail from someone name Walter Davis. He spoke with a very strong Indian or Mid East accent. He said to call him asap or have my attorney call him. He said good luck with whats about to unfold on me and may God Bless me. He left a phone number 315-294-9471. He could not tell me what company hired him to collect money from me, or a legit address. I asked him to send me something in writing, he did not respond. He told me I was money laundering and that the police was coming to my job. The job he said they were coming to I haven't worked there since mid 2008. These people are crazy and willing to say anything to scare you. They need to be stopped and I hope our local FBI, Secret Service, and Law Enforcement are listining.

                                       Mad Black Woman

I just received a vm from a man named Alex Williams who stated that I need to contact him immediately in regards to a time sensitive matter or have my attorney call him. He called my job and stated that if I did not call him immediately he wishes me luck with what is about to unfold upon me. I'm going to call back and see what type of info I can get from them and report these harrassing debt collectors.

I just received a similar message.  This man has been calling twice a day for several days.  He had part of my social security number and name of bank and wanted me to confirm the rest.  When I asked to have actual paper work sent to me he refused and hung up only to start calling back.  What a fraud!

I was harrassed by the same company. Each one giving me an american name and obviously foriegn accents.They said they were taking me to court for a debt and wanted my card number and a letter stating that I authorize them to recieve monies from me.
Beware!!

I have been receiving the same calls.Guy with middle eastern accent.He goes by the name of David Brown.He claimed that I needed to pay $5800 by credit card. Which I don't have. Told me that I had 10 minutes to call him back or he was going to ruin my name and have relatives that i have used in the past as a references and they will be pick up also. Called him back in 10 minutes and told him he needed to fax info so my parents can see proof of the debt. He told me he couldn't. Ask to speak with a supervisor he paused then can back to the phone pretending to be a supervisor. He is still calling my office I just hang up when i hear the accent. Call the company he claimed I owed and they have no record of me on file. Someone needs to put a stop to these people.

I received the same call at my place of work.  I could hear several people in the background repeating the same message that the caller was leaving on my voice mail.  I called back, from a phone that has the number blocked, and ask who they were. They told me AMG LLC and ask for my phone number.  They did not use my given name so I gave them the same name they used and ask what it was regarding.  They kept asking for the phone number and I kept saying you called me, therefore you can look me up using my name.  I repeated that twice and then they hung up.  I called back, same person answered and ask for my phone number.  I refused, they hung up. When I called back the third time someone else answered but I could hear the same man inthe background telling her to ask formy number.  I refused, repeated the same thing to her and she hung up.  I called back and received a message that the number was disconnected.

Woah!  I had the same experience as most of you.  I spoke with at least three different people who all had very thick middle eastern accents.  They too, threatened to have police come to my place of employment and take me to court.  They said I owed 5,000 dollars because of a little payday loan I took out a couple years ago.  It was only a 200$ loan and "with late fees" it added up to be 5,000 dollars.  Pffft.  He then stated that if I wanted to settle out of court I would need to pay 2,495 dollars.  I would need to fax him a copy of my drivers license, my card number and a statement saying I aggreed to pay him this amount.  They said they were a law firm, not a collection agency(I'm sure to try and sound scarier) and it was on behalf of the Bank of America.  So I promptly called the Bank of America and they could find absolutely no record of any accounts under my name-past or present.   What a crock!  I reported all 4 of the phone numbers to Identification Protection, and also called our local police and spoke with an officer about it.  What really gave it away, was when I asked for a name and he said, in his thick accent "James Smith!"

who is this that keeps harassing me???  i get calls from this number 5-8 times a day, and never answer them hoping they will just stop.  it is very aggravating!!!  make it go away

the man that keeps calling me from 315-294-9471 speaks with a very heavy middle eastern accent and says his name is max green and he says that either i or my retained attorney need to call back immediately due to time sensitive material.  i have not called back and don't intend to. it is a fraud as i have not received anything written regarding this matter.

For at least the last four years, possibly longer, a group has been calling former payday loan applicants advising them that they have defrauded a bank and are now being sued for non-payment of a loan.  The callers will claim to be calling on behalf of an attorney's office (name varies), the Dept. of Law and Investigation, ACS, or other similar combinations below:

United Legal Processing Division
Midline Marketing
Crime Monitoring Services
Monetary Crime Division
U.S. National Bank
Attorney General’s Office (usually in California)
American Legal Services
Affidavit Consolidation Services (ACS)

You will be threatened with arrest, a costly trial and possibly worse.  In no shape, way or form can you be arrested for non-payment on a consumer debt.  Do not believe these threats, as they are without merit and cannot be carried out in the manner they allege.  

Who are they?

In the past when pressed by law enforcement for an address, the callers have provided the following information:

David Morgan and Associates
Morgan & Associates
Morgan Associates
954-727-8481
1155 Northwest 85th Street
Wintergarden, Florida  33150
(Address is likely invalid)

The collector's MO matches a once legit collections agency called Ellis Crosby & Associates.  Here are some links on them:

http://www.budhibbs.com/collectorpages/ellis_crosby_and_associates.htm
http://www.budhibbs.com/collectorpages/EllisCrosbyJudgment.pdf

They have been previously fined over $1.3 million for various violations.  They have been known to use phone banks in India to make their calls, which more or less coincides with the difficult to understand accent many of us detect when we are contacted.  

The last time this group went by any "official" name was back in 2008:

Ellis Crosby & Associates / Douglas & Morgan Associates
4494 Southside Boulevard Suite #200
Jacksonville Florida 32216
Phone:  800-928-3536 / (904) 928-3536
(Address is likely invalid)

There are NUMEROUS consumer alerts out against this group of individuals:

Florida:
http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/061107/met_176207561.shtml

Kansas:  
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2010/01/ks_debt_collection.html

Colorado:  
http://www.coloradoattorneygeneral.gov/press/ ... lls_likely_orig

Rhode Island:  
http://www.collectionscreditrisk.com/news/rho ... -3002135-1.html

West Virginia:
http://www.wvago.gov/internetloanscam.cfm

Missouri:
On July 15th, 2010 a Public Awareness Bulletin was sent out by Missouri Information Analysis Center.  

"..received reports from individuals in Ohio and Illinois reference suspicious telephone calls they received. In both instances, the callers are reporting that a voicemail is received from a man, with a Middle Eastern accent, identifying himself as an officer working with the Financial Crimes Unit.  The message indicates that the reason for the call concerns a loan made by the receiver or someone in the receiver's family. The voicemail requests that a return call be made and a telephone number is provided. When a return call is made, the caller is asked to provide personal identifying information such as their date of birth and social security number.

Reports indicate that the calls are frequent and persistent and that they even threaten arrest or legal action if information or money is not provided. It appears that the individuals making these calls may have access to some records connecting individuals and their relatives.  Missouri does not have a Financial Crimes Unit and all indications are that this is a fictitious agency. If you receive a similar phone call, please be advised that it is a scam and please contact your local law enforcement agency or the Missouri Information Analysis Center at 866-362-6422."

Bottom line:

Do not supply the callers with any additional information.  Inform them you have reported them to law enforcement and hang up.  If you haven't already, go ahead and report the calls to local law enforcement, your state's Attorney General and beyond.  Look up the local Secret Service branch's information in your area and get in contact with an agent there.  

If you ever applied for a cash advance online, your information is out there.  
Possible sources for the breach of your privacy are:

* The scammers obtained your information from Teletrack - a reporting agency used by many cash advance lenders to determine their risk lending to you.  The service is able to tell cash advance lenders if you have existing loans with other companies, for example.  Many state laws prohibit borrowers from having more than two cash advances out at the same time.

* The scammers created their own fake payday loan application site.  People looking for a cash advance went to the site and applied, thus freely providing the scammers with their information for malicious use at a later time.  

* The scammers were able to get into the database(s) of cash advance lenders - probable targets being Sonic Payday and Cashnet USA.  


How to protect yourself:

* Inform your employer.  You are likely getting calls at home and/or at work, so make sure your employer is aware the calls are part of a scam and to not take them seriously.  Advise the callers that they are no longer allowed to call you at work.  If they continue to call, document the date and time of the calls you received.  Save voice mails left if at all possible.  

* Change your number(s).  For some this may not be an option, for others a one-time number change can be done free of charge.

Be advised - any references you listed on your payday loan application will be contacted.  Let those people know that this is a scam, and they can disregard.

* Use Google Voice.  Google Voice is a great replacement voice mail system for just about any phone number you use.  Messages can be transcribed and voice mail recordings can be saved as mp3 files.  

Pro Tip - call the scammers with a Google Voice number before turning off your old phone numbers.  Make sure when you call you identify yourself so they can start up their script.  At any point after they have your information pulled up just hang up.  They will then start religiously calling your Google Voice number.  At this point, you are free to change your regular phone number(s) and enjoy not having these people ever call you again.  (And laugh at the fact these people are basically talking to a brick wall several times a day)

The scammers change their numbers frequently.  Law enforcement used to think it was because the callers ran out of minutes on their prepaid wireless accounts or they were shuttered due to fraud, but now they understand it's simply to evade detection by savvy consumers online.  With the proliferation of VoIP, it's even easier for the crooks to stay a couple of steps ahead of law enforcement.  Below is just a sampling of the 30+ numbers that have been used in recent memory.

1-201-244-7722
1-209-349-7382
1-209-797-2212
1-212-500-0839
1-213-256-0408
1-213-995-3039
1-281-763-0433
1-347-289-3902
1-347-844-6817
1-347-844-6831
1-424-354-4270
1-516-232-8905
1-516-232-8935
1-518-212-0219
1-561-300-8018
1-561-210-4185
1-626-200-4646
1-631-456-4041
1-646-274-1143
1-646-810-8635
1-650-241-4604
1-707-401-4056
1-707-633-2789
1-708-401-0535
1-716-442-2824
1-717-862-4080
1-718-705-8669
1-760-514-0132
1-760-563-5384
1-772-318-4938
1-850-201-1111
1-858-777-1977
1-859-908-2281
1-866-860-4509
1-877-226-7488
1-888-706-7463
1-888-771-9249
1-888-785-4479
1-909-327-4870

So can they really do anything to you?

It's not a simple yes or no answer.  Logic dictates that, if they really wanted to take you for a ride and drain your bank accounts, they already would have.  

So, why haven't they?  

Authorization.  

Why do you think you are being called so much?  Perhaps it is because they like the sound of your voice?  No, they have to have your authorization to take any form of payment from you, period.  The callers know their audience, and that audience is typically a bunch of people that have applied for payday loans in the past.  Most of those people they call couldn't afford an attorney if they wanted one, and are so used to receiving collections calls that so long as they sound like a real collector, they will likely be perceived as one.

Furthermore, they don't even really want to talk to your attorney - that just sounds official and scary enough.  A real attorney would take the callers to task and write them off as two-bit con artists.  The callers need you, in writing, to authorize payment against the fictitious debt they claim you owe.  Go ahead, ask them for proof you owe the debt - more commonly known as verification of debt.  See what they say.  A phone authorization carries very little weight, so if they have something signed by you on file, you are done for - and the callers know that.  That authorization is the only thing these callers are doing by the book, and for good reason.  If they just went all willy nilly and made an ACH debit from your checking account, without your written approval, you could in turn report the transaction as fraudulent to your financial institution.  In about 7-10 business days, you would get the funds returned to your account.  Then the scammers would be up against a bank and their team of lawyers and investigators.  

Bottom line:

If you haven't paid the callers a dime, don't.  If you planned on paying them to shut them up, just don't.  Remember - you are not being contacted by a legally licensed, ethically owned and operated collector.  Read up on the FDCPA - http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre27.pdf - and know your rights.

https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-646-274-1143/3

I have a similar group calling me and the caller was James Smith laughingly enough. The number they called me from was 1-315-494-9471. Scam all the way. Same message at the end. Good luck as the situation unfolds.

I had the same call as Toya. This is crazy and they need to be stopped. I tried to call the number provided to me 315-294-9471 to speak to a Carol Smith and the number was disconnected. They threatned me and said that my job would be in danger and I would be arrested. I will be calling the FBI and reporting them. I spoke to a Carol and a Jason.

Same company...LLC Law Offices

I had the same call as Toya. This is crazy and they need to be stopped. I tried to call the number provided to me 315-294-9471 to speak to a Carol Smith and the number was disconnected. They threatned me and said that my job would be in danger and I would be arrested. I will be calling the FBI and reporting them. I spoke to a Carol and a Jason.

This number had called me and has harassed me and my family. The first name who called was Robert Jones and the second time he called he said his name was Mack Paul. And trying to make me pay $5,484.87 that I never borrowed from the company which is called A.A.C.A which was for a loan for 1500.00 which I was denied from. Because I don't make enough money. But the ID number that they read to me was not mine I don't drive and I never lived at this address until 2009 this fraud occurred in Sept 2008. And I never worked for the company that they said I worked for.

same thing as everyone else told me i was goin to jail  for a loan i never had .  i ve decided to sue them and reported them to the fbi ,  just because ur poor or rich or in between u dont have to sit back and let these scum of the earth  people screw with u .. FIGHT BACK  we didnt get to be the biggest  and most powerfull nation  be letting people boss u around

Caller by the name of Roger Davis left a vm msg stating me or my attorney needed to contact them on a time-sensitive matter. called back and was told i owed money for an online payday loan and was being sued for $5K plus dollars and was attempting to read me an affidavit of some sort. I told him I could not understand him and to put someone who spoke clear English on. He stated he would  call me at on his other line. He called back and I didn't bother to answer.