877-331-8194

They say that I am in violation of State Law. I've gotten this call several times.

i got a message on my answering machine today from "Cain" from ATS 1-877-331-8193 saying it was urgent that I call back ex 24 something about being in violation of a state law. I believe it is not a ligit place of business because it is not in reverse lookup and when we called a recording electronix not ATS. We then called 1-877-331-8194 America's network incorporated.

i kept getting phone calls from this number, saying i would be arrested if i didn't pay the amount of a bad check. I kept asking for a name and all they would give me was an extension. They kept calling my parents and asking for me and saying they were going to get the cops involved.

Received a call today saying that a criminal action was being presented against us and that we needed to call back before 10am the next morning to avoid the criminal charges.  Supposed to dial ext 11.

Great info, Lament! Thank you!

~~~~

Many years ago my mother had a business. We closed the business a few years ago (11/2007; she's almost 86 now) after 50+ years of operation. As it happens, I had the business line forwarded to me, just in case someone who knows her calls.

Today, I received a call from the number in question: 877-331-9184. It was a male voice, a recorded message, saying they were desperately trying to reach my mother (he used her full legal name), and to call the same number.

A woman answered, and never identified her self nor the company she represents. Since I was calling an toll-free number, I kept asking for their name. She never gave it to me. She did say she was in Atlanta, and that they represent merchants from across the world that have bad check collections. This merchant was 'Golden Keys.'

She said that tomorrow by noon the attorney was going to be in front of the judge to have a warrent filed for my mother's arrest for writing a bad check. A check that was 5 years old! She gave me the check number and date.

I told her the corporation (that they check was written from) was closed, there were no funds and that very soon my mother was leaving her state to live be with me. She's recently had surgury, appears to have dementia and there are no funds. I asked if they really wants to arrest an 86 yo dementia patient. She said they have arrested people older than that.

I asked her to fax me a copy of the check ($175). She said the attorney had it, she only had notes on the account about converations with my mother about the money (which were not dated). (Mind you that legally, a corporation is a 'person,' and they would have to arrest the corporation, not it's officer. This person/corporation is 'dead.')

I laughed, and said that if she was expecting me to send $175 to her for something she could not prove my mother owed, it would not happen. She kept talking about my mother's arrest, and how they would come to her home. What ever.

I then called my mother and my brother and asked them about it. No one knew anything. Mom was totally confused, thinking the company was selling her keys of gold. Bro told me 20/20 recently did a piece on these companies that prey upon senior citizens.

While talking to him, I was searching the 'net, and the name brings up "golden keys international honor society" (apparently an scam directed at college grads seeking to honored) and 'golden keys marketing system' who has a website [http://www.goldenkeys.net/] that says it is permenantly closed but gives a forwarding email link [support@goldenkeys.net]. Further digging hits sites about a Sri Lanka credit card scam where the [http://www.thecolombotimes.com/business-news/ ... otelawala-.html; http://www.spot.lk/article2715-golden-key-scam-police-uncover-more-deals.html; and http://sundaytimes.lk/090111/FinancialTimes/ft321.html]. Something about investors not being able to get the money out of their accounts.

I decided to search the phone number (as you have) and it led me to this page. Everyone having the same story...threaten to arrest if you don't pay now.

Look at these:
https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/8773318194 and
http://phoneowner.info/Number.aspx/8773318194#p58279600616208221.

Follow what Lament says, above. Please read it carefully and go through the links. REPORT THEM, please!

If it was a legit debt, they are limited by what they can do to collect. Threatening to have you arrest is not one of them!

Then I remembered...

About 3 years ago this same call arrived, only it reach my mother. She was in tears about being arrested. She called me.

I called the bank. I got a copy of the check.

Guess what...IT CLEARED...in 2005! It wasn't a bad check at all. In 2007 when someone was threatening my mother, I faxed a copy of it to them, and never heard from them...until now.

I did try to call the number just before I wrote this up, and the answering machine said it was "America's Network, Inc."

Go look at the links about reporting them. I'm sure the woman in Atlanta thinks she just got hired by a great company do to collections from her home. Little does she know she could also be arrested.

Go figure!

MotherLode

Update...

I called the company the next day. The womann I spoke to the night before was nice enough, and I wanted to see if she knew what she was doing, the legality of it all, and most importantly, that the check had cleared back in 2005.

She's been working for them 'quite a while,' and the tactics are not illegal because they are a merchant services company, and don't fall under the guidelines for collection companies.

As for the check that had cleared? "Well, if that is what you think." {Click. Dial tone.}

Any ideas Lament?

I got a call today saying I needed to call them right away - I was in violation of state law.  It was a recording.  I then got a call from a woman threatening me if I didn't call by 11:00 the next day.  I was told to call the above number, extension 11, and when I called back it was a recording and I had to leave a message.

I left the message and a woman called back two seconds later.  She asked if I knew what this was about - I stated of course I didn't.  It was about a check she said was returned to Winn Dixie in 2001!  The bank it was returned on is no longer even in existence but I found my old statement and there were no bounced checks in 2001.  It sounded extremely shady to me - especially considering this is a debt that is over 9 years old.  I wish I knew a number where I could report this - they say they are ETS or ATS and the message states they are Electronique.  I can find no information on them but I smell fear and trouble.  Creepy.

I have been getting calls from this number for many two or three years now. Every few months, I get a class saying that I've violated a state law. For the first two years, they asked for "Angel de Mayo" (not even close to my name), and now, they only ask for "First Name, Last Name". Every time I've tried calling back, I get a recording that sends me in circles, pressing different numbers each time, never actually reaching a real person.
I started getting these calls in my senior year of high school, before I even turned 18. I didn't have a bank account, I didn't have a driver's license, I didn't have anything that could possibly warrant this type of call.
I'm relieved I'm not the only one getting these calls.

My 65 year old mother called me very upset stating that she spoke to a 'representative' from this phone number  8773318194 saying that her company "Data Control" had a check for 300.00 that bounced from 2003 from my mother and that the attorney was going to be in front of the judge the next morning filing a criminal complaint against my mother.

My mother asked who the check was made out to and the woman said "Larson brothers" My Mom did not recognize the name.

My mother asked for the check to be faxed and the woman said she would fax it.We are still waiting!

This screams "scam" to me since they will not give out any information about themselves and want you to rush and give them money. They try scare tactics. Do not give them information and do not send them money.
Caller: Data Control

So Im checking the messages this morning (place of business) and I get a message saying that it is a "private investigator" and that we are in violoation of the law and are subject to be arrested if I do not return the call. He gives me a number of 877-331-8194. In the background I hear loud talking that sounds very similiar to what you would hear in a police stations (talk-radios, 911 dispatch) - very impressive to go all the way with the special effects, I think. The geezer (I only say that because he sound like an old country sheriff) tells me that I must call between the hours of 9am and 6pm -

Really? So I think, let me call now. Its 6:51am. Thinking to myself it may give me some kind of voicemail to identify it legitimacy. Not at all!! - Lady answers the phone and asks for the number that recieved the message. I give it to her. After all, WE are a legitimate business. She tells me she is looking for "___________________" Ahha!! Its one of my former temporary employees. I explained this and that we were a place of buiness. She replied saying that she would remove that number and I would not hear from them again. Im posting this only because I do not believe her. So lets just wait and see. This kind of thing is no surprise to me and I know exactly how to handle it and it will not be pretty. If they think they can throw the law around like that to collect a couple of hundred dollars, they have another thing coming. I know several lawmakers in my county and councilmembers in my city. If I'm not mistaken I have a few officers that would love to give them a call too.

Got a phone call today, pre recorded, a man's voice with loud voices in background.  He said I need to call this number back immediately as this involves a criminal case and my number was involved in it?  I believe i received a call like this about a year ago too----

Ladies and Gentlmen, I recieved a call today at my work voice mail stating that criminal action will be brought upon me if I do not return the call by 2pm the next day. I called and they asked for my name and phone number. I said that I do not feel comfortable giving my last name. I then asked what company did they worked for and they said " We work for a lot of companies" and they hung up the phone, I called back and got a different agent and they asked for my infromation name and phone number. I gave them my full name and they said that I was not in the system and it was a wrong call. This sounds like a prank, it totaly ruined my day at work and freaked me out. If your gutt tells you something is wrong, your probably right. I plan to call security if they call again.

They called me today, its a prank, i was freaked out in the begging

Hello, I recieved a call today from 877-331-8194.  It was a recording of a man with loud noise in the back ground like a call center saying a criminal investagation was going on with my cell phone number.  I thought 'What?' so I returned the call.  Some lady answered the phone that sounded like she was smacking on food, just said 'Hello'.  Me, being a supervisior of inbound calls knew a legit business would brand their company without the smacking.  The 'receptionist', as she called herself, kept asking my name and I told her I would not give my name as I wanted to know what the call was about before I gave out any information.  She then proceeded to tell me then she could not help me and hung up on me.  Well I called again to ask her to take my number off her list and that time she did brand the company in which I have forgotten the name (Sorry).  She told me to calm down and listen to her, she was very disrespectful.  She then proceeded to hang up on me.  I called again for the 3rd time and I told her 'this is a scam, take my number off her list'.  A little later I called the number again from another phone, my business line and a man answered, no branding of company, just hello.  He wanted my name and number in which I told him I needed some information first.  I then proceeded to ask him what it was about and he told me it was for a bad check.  I laughed at what he had told me and told him I don't write checks in which he replied I must have gotten the wrong number and hung up on me.

this is a company and this number should not be receiving these kinds of calls

I just got a call saying that my number was under a criminal investigation and that i needed to call asap, when i dialed the number all i got was a recording, telling me that all agents were busy and that the hrs were 9am to 6:30pm est. time. well still got no response. i as you all think this is a scam or hoax. so i to got these calls. just beware and report these people.

A friend received a call from this same number. Aman's voice stated he was calling for a criminal investigation pertaining to this phone number (her cell phone), that it was imperitive that a return call was made without delay to this number between the hours of 9 am and 6 pm. It sounded as though it was from a police station as there was noises in the background of the like.
I called 877-331-8194 for a friend, as my friend does not speak much English to find out why such an disturbing call was made to her. I had already read all thru these messages and was prepared to frighten them right back with informing them of this website and that they could be the one's under criminal investigation if they were trying to obtain funds fraudulently.
A woman answered, I explained the reason for my call, she requested my name, I told her I was not going to divulge because I had read on the internet this number had been making fraudulent calls in efforts to obtain money. She said that was untrue and that they are a legitimate collections agency. I told her she'd better investigate her own number on the internet. She became angry and said she didn't have to put up with this and hung up. I called back, another woman answered told, I told her I was calling because a friend received a call from this number, she asked the number, she said ok, I continued saying I believed the call was for fraudulent purposes to obtain money, She asked for the phone number the call was reached at, I gave that and she said it was on an account for a man named Pierre. I told her that her name was Monserat and receieved this current number for her cell phone use. She asked if she knew Pierre, I said no and she said she would remove the phone number from the account.

Just setting at work and got this call, on our office roll over line.  Not going to call it.

Received the same type of call again today. We had the call about a year ago also. Same one with the talking in the background like a police station. I asked several times for the reason of the call, all I got was something about a person with the name Bingham and some merchant.

The first time they called they scared the hell out of my wife. This time i gave it back to the lady that answered, a one Ms. Dawson. She said she could not share info about the reason for the call with a 3rd party. No mention about taking the number off of their list.

Can't wait until the next time, I will give it back 10 times over.

I just received yet another call from this number. This time, the caller ID said "Georgia Call" and a man with a southern accent left me a voicemail saying it would be in my best interest to call back as soon as possible. It didn't sound like a recording, and there wasn't any noise in the background. What is happening?