818-668-3512

called and said i owed some company money that i had never heard of.  told me i had till 3 oclock to pay.  he had all my info and kept asking me if it was correct and got mad when i wouldnt confirm with my info.  i told him i would investigate on my own and i found out it was fraud.  he also told me to go to hell and hung up on me.

I just received a call from 818 668 3512 the gentleman name is Matthew Hayden and he said he is with Davis Law Firm. When I called back it went into an answering service.I like to know if this is a real call or a scam

It's a scam, and all their threats are false and illegal.  The bottom line is, these are criminals trying to steal your money.

Here are a few news reports and government advisories warning consumers about this scam:

ABC News:  http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=5621205&page=1
West Virginia Attorney General:  http://www.wvago.gov/internetloanscam.cfm
WTAE TV4, Pittsburgh:  http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/call4action/17285785/detail.html
Florida Commissioner of Consumer Services:  http://www.800helpfla.com/newsletter/2008/092008.html

This is a very active group of scammers, many of whom are calling from India (and probably other countries) and are in cahoots with a group of American pay day loan scammers. Typical of many financial scams of this variety, they usually demand payment via Western Union or MoneyGram or credit card. They use any number of phony names such as US National Bank, Federal Investigation Bureau, US Legal Investigation Bureau, US Federal Bank, Sonic Bank, Hopkins Law Office, Christian Nicholas & Associates, CashNet, Financial Crime Prevention, National Crimes Division, United Legal Processing, Morgan Associates, United Pay Services, National Processing, White Collar Crime Unit, David Morgan & Assoicates and many more.  These criminals also use many phone numbers from many area codes; they're probably using caller-id spoofing software and/or VoIP to disguise their real location.

These scammers attempt to extort money from consumers with a myriad of false and illegal threats, and alternately pose as debt collectors, federal and state law enforcement officers, lawyers and bankers. Their trademark is to use meaningless legalese gobbylgook phrases like "We are downloading warrants against you" or "We are filing an affidavit against you."  Other trademark phrases include threatening the consumer with ridiculous phrases such as "If you don't pay then only God can help you" or "If you don't call me back then I can only wish you good luck."

The main thing to remember is that anytime someone calls you demanding money to prevent your arrest, or demanding your lawyer's name so they can sue you, it is ALWAYS a scam. No debt collector (let alone criminals posing as debt collectors) has the authority to have anyone arrested for anything. (And it's illegal to them to threaten such a thing.) And since these foreign dirtbags routinely impersonate law enforcement, it's also important to remember that American law enforcement officers aren't in the business of debt collection.  (Debt is a civil, not a criminal, matter.)

A consumer posting a complaint about these same scammers at https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-718-831-7157 notes that 718-831-7157 is associated with an India-based "outsourcing" telephone bank.  Though a reverse search on WhitePages.com shows that 718-831-7157 is an unlisted land line in New York City, information on Debtbuyers.Com shows that that number is used by India-based Intellisourze. (Source: http://www.debtbuyers.com/debtbuyers.asp ) My guess is that it's a VoIP phone number.

This is another piece of the puzzle that fits in perfectly with other information about this scam. There are some reports on 800Notes that have suggested that the crooks behind this offshore scam are also the crooks behind the notorious Bass/Ellis Crosby & Assoc./States Predisposition scams in Florida and Georgia. The interesting thing is that the number of complaints on here about the US National Bank/US Legal Investigation/Federal Investigation scam skyrocketed *after* April 7, 2008 when Florida obtained a $1.3 million judgment against Ted Ellis Crosby, shutdown his operations and barred him from ever conducting debt collections in Florida (
http://myfloridalegal.com/newsrel.nsf/newsrel ... 5257424005858A6 )  There's certainly a good chance that the crooks placing these calls from India are doing so on behalf of the American crooks behind the Crosby/Bass/States Predisposition scams.

Here's the contact information for the phone bank in India:

IntellisOurzE BPO
701, Sapphier, Nr. Cargo Motors,
C.G. Road Navrangpura,
Ahmedabad - 9. (Guj.) INDIA.
E-Mail: info@intellisourze.com
Website: www.intellisourze.com

A check on the domain name "intellisourze.com" shows that the website and name registration was created on May 8, just one month *after* the Crosby scams were shut down in Florida:

Domain Name: INTELLISOURZE.COM
Registrant:  Pragra Infratech Pvt. Limited.
Email:  ankur.ranpariya@pragra.com  
908, Aksaht Tower, Nr. ICICI Bank
Opp. Rajpath Club, S.G. Highway
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India 380054
Tel. +91.7926871353
Creation Date: 08-May-2008
Expiration Date: 08-May-2009
Domain servers in listed order: ns5.znetindia.com ns4.znetindia.com
(Source: http://whois.domaintools.com/intellisourze.com )

Though scam calls from these crooks have been going on long before May 8, the frequency of complaints about these calls increased considerably after Crosby was shut down in early April.

This is conjecture, but appearances suggest that Crosby and company were originally running a two-pronged payday loan scam operation -- with some calls being made from Jacksonville, Florida and other calls being made from a phone bank in India (and possibly other countries); then, after the Florida Attorney General shut down the Crosby scams in Florida, the Crosby crooks transferred most of their scam efforts to the India phone bank.

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.naag.org

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/1-904-425-9141
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-336-553-3965
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-909-6789
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-925-262-1327
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-678-954-6346
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-341-4004
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-856-831-0640
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-949-743-1140
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-410-505-8128
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-917-464-2534
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-210-858-6602
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-775-2121
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-310-909-8245
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-949-743-1156
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-214-245-1402
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-214-245-0922
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-214-723-5572
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-904-425-2863
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-718-831-7157
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-904-425-2857
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-858-244-0444

LadyLuck that is a scam. They did me the same way but told me they were from Cooper Law Firm in Los Angeles, CA and his name is Brian O'Connor. I did research and called the Better Business Bureau and they do not exist. When I told him that they do not exist in California, he said that is because they are based out of TX.  I called that number one day and it went straight to a voicemail. If it was a law firm, it would have went to an answering machine and it would have disclosed the name of the company, not "Please leave a message for 818-668-3512.They called me again and I threatened them to never call me again or they would be in jail for fraud. He became afraid and said that he would never call me again.

I received the same call from some guy named Brian O'Conner had a very strong accent.  he claimed I owed money from a cash advance company.  he had all my information.. i dont know what to do. he also said he was from Cooper Law Office and that I was being sued for running away with the money and if I wanted to settle out of court I had to make a payment now with a prepaid card and he will not take me to court.

I also recieved a call from Matthew who was very rude telling me about a Lawsuite against me but he told me he was from cooper law firm....a bunch of BS

I rec'd a call on my cell  phone and then called my job saying they are from a law firm..... BS.

i also got a call today from tony fox of cooper law firm in ca , he was from india i called cooper law firm in calif and mr cooper said he never heard of these people and they are a fraud. i also calle NC attorney general office they said its a scam and in the state of NC paydayloans are illegal. He said if they call hang up they will try to keep you on the phone for as long as they can , to get  money from you. i filled a complaint a few weeks ago and they said they couldn't find these people, case closed.

I recieved a call today from this number demanding money or I would be arrested and my companyu would be notified.
They said i could clear this up by paying 1245.35 by friday.
They said the claim was over a year old.
They had all my information too, work, phones, bank.

I also resently recieved a call from Coopers law firm    1365 Chula Vista Los Angeles California
After some researching this is nothing but a scam and thier threats are to scare you into giving them money.

Please contact the Federal Trade Commision and Report them or they will continue to call people
Thier number is 18773824357. The will ask for there name number and address.

The FTC also recommended to contact the California Attorney Generals Office @ 18009525225 and submitt a complaint  website caag.state.ca.us

If everyone does this we can only hope these calls will stop

Dear Ms. toosmart:

The information you have provided is very similar to other complaints we have received, which also involve attempts to collect Internet payday loan accounts by persons/entities that do not properly identify themselves; making empty threats of legal action or threats of criminal prosecution in order to intimidate consumers into giving out their banking information to collect payment. This type of illegal debt collection activity has been occurring for some time. An August 2008 ABC News article on the issue is attached.

We suspect that the people that called you are not "a law office." As odd as it may sound, it would be a good thing if any of these "lenders" would bring a legal action; then we would at least know who we're dealing with. In either case, there is no lawsuit; they are just trying to "phish" for your personal banking information through intimidation.

We suggest that you tell the caller that they will get no information or payment from you unless they provide you written evidence of the alleged debt and properly identify themselves and their authority to collect the alleged debt. If they continue to call, continue to terminate the call, or just set down the phone and walk away. Let them rant all they want to; eventually, they will realize you're not going to give-in to their scam.

Since this group apparently has some personal information about you, you may want to file a fraud alert with the major credit bureaus: www.equifax.com, www.experian.com and www.transunion.com, and, perhaps, file a report with the Wisconsin Office of Privacy Protection (http://privacy.wi.gov); but before you do that, you may want to first get your free credit reports to see if there is any unusual information or activity there. All consumers are entitled to receive one, free credit report from each of the bureaus, once every 12 calendar months. If you have not yet used this process, or you did so more than 12 months ago, you can get your free report at the website specifically set-up for this process: www.annualcreditreport.com.

If you ever did have a payday loan, we may be able to track the lender and find out more about who may be calling you. If you have taken a payday loan on the Internet before, please give us the name(s) of the lenders and/or the web site address, as that information could also be helpful. If you kept a copy of the loan agreement, you may forward a copy for the file, if you wish.

Here is information we found for the "940" number you report as the caller's number:

Search Date:    Monday, March 29, 2010 8:12 AM
Phone Number:  (940) 580-2411
Line Type:      Landline
Phone Carrier:  Level 3 Communications, Llc - Tx
City:  Gainesville
State:  TX
County:        Cooke
Latitude:      33.6300
Longitude:      -97.1400

We are not able to locate information on the existence or location of a company named "Cooper Law Firm" out of Gainesville, Texas.

We note that you have already filed a report of this experience with the Federal Trade Commission.

You may want to contact Level 3 Communications, LLC http://www.level3.com/index.cfm?pageID=235 and file a complaint there, too, as well as with the Texas Attorney General http://www.oag.state.tx.us/agency/contacts.shtml, and with the Internet Crime Complaint Center http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx.


Sincerely,


Kathleen Hanna, Compliance Officer
Department of Financial Institutions
Bureau of Consumer Affairs
P.O. Box 8041
Madison, WI 53708-8041

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

I received a call from Brian O'Conner at Cooper Law Firm.  He said I owed them over $600 for some payday loan I took out.  I almost thought it was legitimate because he had all of my personal information, including my social security number and bank account.  I hung up with him and called the FTC immediately.  They said that it was a scam and to immediately call the credit bureaus to put a fraud alert on my SSN.  I also contacted my bank and the BBB.

Make sure to file a complaint with the FTC and contact the credit bureaus and your financial institutions if you are getting these calls.  They are recording your responses to use later when they try to set up false accounts using your information!!

I rec'd. a call from David Cooper, esquire with a heavy accent. I called back and Cooper and his paralegal stated that a lawsuit from TD Bank was being filed for fraudulent use of my own checking account. If I didn't pay, I would be arrested and sent to jail in California. I settled for $445,but, lwhen I called back for my confirmation no., the line was continually busy,and, I never got my confirmation no.

This is a scam and fraud! I had a man with a heavy accent claiming his name was rodger calling from a law frim... he read back my OWN information to me stating that was him.... [***] this company and they need to be shut down! So not give them any information and threathen legal action if you have to!