617-419-6040

This company just called my workplace 20 times and I wasn't even in and my supervisor called me very upset because she tried to take a message and they were very rude to her. Please let me know what else I can do

Just received a call from this number threatening to be arrested. Guys name Jeff Foster and has a very heavy foreign accent. Again had partial information right and looking to settle this now and would not take a credit card....had to go to walmart or riteaid to get a greendot card in order to pay.  Bogess company threatening to send police to be arrested when my accounts are clean. Number is out of Boston Mass and I am in new jersey. Something very fishy about this whole situation. Company they are with is called Goodman Proctor Associates.  Beware of these people.

Phantom Debt Collectors From India Harass Americans, Demand Money

By BRIAN ROSS (@brianross) , CINDY GALLI and MATTHEW MOSK (@mattmosk)
June 7, 2012

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 was 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.

"If Mr. Patel was just a cog in the wheel he seems to have been a pretty big cog," Leibowitz said. "It is clear that Patel was integrally involved with this scam."

Leibowitz points to thousands of pages of financial and phone records gathered by the FTC and filed as part of a civil case brought against him in the U.S. District Court in Sacramento last month. When FTC lawyers sought to freeze his assets and prevent his business from continuing to operate, Patel responded by invoking his rights against self-incrimination. His lawyer told ABC News he has had to be careful in how he responds to the allegations in civil court "because there is a potential criminal action," but that Patel maintains the allegations against him are false.

Federal investigators said the phantom debt collection operation that allegedly benefitted from Patel's assistance was one of several that all trace back to the same small town in Western India called Ahmedabad. Callers use technology to make it appear that the calls originate inside the U.S. Victims provided ABC News with recordings of dozens of the calls, and many of the thickly accented callers appear to be reading off a script.

"Subpoenas have been readied, and Monday morning you're going to be picked up from your home," one caller says on a victim's voicemail. "And you have children. Don't worry about your children. We have a childcare department to take care of the children."

"You will be behind bars for six months," said another caller. "And once you go behind bars, you will lose your job. Once you are behind the bars, you won't get a single drop of water."

William Peerce Howard, a Tampa attorney who represents victims of harassment from debt collectors, said it takes an especially twisted criminal to use threats and coercion to pry money from someone who is already struggling financially

"These guys really are the most visible villains in America today," he said. "They make a living scaring people."

Mark Merola, of Florida, said he just panicked when the caller told him he might be arrested at the deli where he works in a Florida retirement community.

"I was nervous. I didn't want to embarrass myself, my family," he said. He used his debit card to pay the collector $576.

Afterwards, he says he realized "how stupid I was."

"It just happened so fast," he said. "I got scared."

Leibowitz said he hopes with more attention, future potential targets of the scam will recognize red flags before they turn over any money.

If callers say they are from the police, consumers should know that law enforcement officers do not collect debt for private parties. If the caller is speaking with a thick Indian accent, but calls themselves by a names such as Officer Mike Johnson, that should be a tip off. And if they're calling 40 times in two hours, that's another red flag. "Legitimate debt collectors, legitimate pay day lenders don't do those sorts of things," he said.

Merola said he would like to see anyone involved in the scam prosecuted aggressively.

"There's no place in society for these people," he said.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/phantom-debt-co ... 16512428&page=2

I posted before that Jeff Foster from Goodman Proctor Associates called harrassing me.  Well I looked back at some note I have saved and it turns out that this same name Jeff Foster was used with another company Marshall & Associates.This just goes to show the kind of games these people are playing.  Be very careful of any phone calls you get.  They should not refuse to give you any information you ask for.  They should provide you with documentation if needed. SCAM!!!!!!!!!.

I received a Urgent message from Jeff Foster today. When I called the number back he told me that my name and SS number just got dropped off to them for a Arrest Warrant pending them sending this to the Courthouse in my town. This would be reported to my employer and there payroll department.  I was told not to interrupt him while he was reading to me the aligations.  He became very angry when I question him as to when I might have gotten this money and how it came to be that I owed this money to them.  The amount being 592.00  I was very upset as they have all my personal information address etc.  They make you start questioning things you wouldnt normally do.  They are very bad people to do this to people who are struggling already.

The FBI warns about payday loan extortion scams here http://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/paydayloanscam_120710   What you are experiencing is a newer version of that scam where they accuse you of committing fraud instead of just owing money on a payday loan and you are threatened with arrest. Your personal info may have been obtained from stolen, hacked or phished loan applications. Did you fill out an application for a payday loan not long ago?

If you google Goodman Proctor Associates, it is a real law firm but these people calling from this number are  a scam, the website gives the real Goodman Proctor phone number and it is not the SAME!!  Maybe we should inform them someone is using their law firm as a scam cover name?
THEY HAVE CALLED ME NUMEROUS TIMES THIS WEEK AND THREATEN THAT I AM GOING TO GO TO JAIL AND BE CHARGED WITH FRAUD!!!

I just received a voice mail from a man who said he was Atty. James Parker, a very heavy Indian accent. He said he was from the federal law dept. and he was waiting for my call. Well he can wait until pigs fly because I am not falling for this scam. I don't owe any payday loans.

This guy, Jeff ???, has been harrassing us for the last few months. He stated he will keep calling until he is able to speak to our employee who has not returned back to work. Well, Jeff??? I guess you will be waiting... How can you stop these types of calls. Please be aware of these type of scams. They get you to pay a debt that you may not owe and then send your money to another country.

got the same call but by a different ryan thomas with a heavy Indian accent threatening  to call my town pd and set a warrant for my arrest for fraud i told him to go ahead and do it , these people are scammers be careful they seem to somehow have peoples personal info. and the number is a boston mass number

These same people called my husband a few months back it caught my husband off guard he sent them $1500.00 they called again today and I'll be dammed if those idiots get another dime from us!!!!!

Sarah,
I just e-mailed the  real firm. There is even an attorney w/the same name as the one who called me.  I wanted check the validity. I am interested in seeing what they say.

Received a call from Russel Hopkins & Ryan Thompson (paralegal & attorney) from this number. Very rude and threatening. Ruined my day over this. Could hardly understand either of them w/ such thick accents. They read a list of charges & of course want money. This should be illegal.

I received a phone call from some guy name Jeff Foster and he threatened to take me to court if I didn't pay a debt. I hung the phone and he called back and left a nasty voicemail. I kindly added the number to my block listing.

They are naking there rounds again.  Just received 2 calls on my cell and one to my job from Ryan Thomas of Goodwin Procter Associates.  These guys just wiont give up.  I owe nohing and they keep hrrasing me.  How do we stop this.  How long are we going to continue taking this.  Beware they are making there rounds today.

There can't be a more obvious scam.  I urge everyone that receives a call from this clown to call him back constantly and speak in a perfect English accent, calling yourself by an Indian name and just ask what he's up to for the weekend...maybe ask how his parents are, what's happening with his friends, has he been to the mall lately?, just keep bugging him.  Don't get mad, just keep calm and bug the ever living [***] out of this [***]!  Call him your buddy, maybe see if he wants to get together for a beer. Just keep f'ng with him.  This [***] is trying to rip you off...don't feel bad!  Screw with him, because he isn't going to stop...might as well make him get a new list of numbers to call.

BEEEE, I reported them to the FTC & I am about to report them to the AG Office. I did it on-line. You can call their 1800 # to report them as well.

What did the real firm say?

Just received a call message from the same guy saying that I needed to contact my lawyer or else. And pay 600.00.
And then ended the cal by saying " be blessed"!

Very heavy accent stating I owed 600.00 and needed to pay or else there is nothing that can be done. That I better have lawyer or myself call this number or it is out of his hands...
I owe nothing to his claims