7604405421

Same happened to me today don't know how they got my info but this is ridiculous! !!

they called me at home saying i owed a payday loan to and i hung up on them. when i get to work, i received a message that they had called.

I received a call threating me of a criminal lawsuit.

Report threating calls from this number regarding a criminal law suit.

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 just got the same message today saying that i was being arested today the number they called me from was 7604405421 her name was lisa she had a india accent

i got a call from lisa at this number 7604405421 she was very rude threatend to have me aressted sais she was a atorney

I received two voicemails from a Andrew White and Ben Williams, both of which were foreign, claiming they were from the Department of Legal Affairs and Investigation. He stated that I owed money for a cash advance that I never got.  They called me at work and on my house phone.  Saying that I was going to be taken to jail on 3 charges because of this.  Everytime I asked for information he cut me off and wouldnt allow me to ask questions.  Then he told me to get my attorney and be ready because I was going to be sorry. Then he hung up on me.   This is so irritating.

This number just started calling me like last Friday talking bout I'm about to be arrested and they are very effing rude.... I haven't took action yet but if they call me back we will have a damn problem!!! This [***] is not cool!!! At all

They just did it to me too I'm so glad this die wad here to inform me I was being scammed good job

I received a call on my job today. The person had a heavy Indian accent. He said he was an investigator and he had a warrant for my arrest for outstanding loan. He also stated that I am to call immediately a Michael Clark at this number. I did not call immediately. Approximately an hour later, the male who stated he is an investigator called me and asked me did I contact Michael Clark. I stated know, but would call him as soon as we got off the phone. I called and got a female (also with a heavy Indian accent), she was very rude, She went on to say I would be arrested on tommorrow, your attorney will bail you out. I started questioning her, she hung up. I called back and a another male answered and said he was Michale Clarke, an attorney. Paper had been sent for my arrest and they were going to serve me on tommorrow by 4:00pm. I asked him who was suing me and what amount was they talking about. Michael Clark stated the principal was $691.00, with attorney fees, the amount was $5000.00. I hung up. consulted with another individual on my job which stated the same person tried to scam money from her mother. I called the number back, no one would answer. I called at least four times, no response.

Aug. 9, 2012 I received a call from the same number, he to was foreign (with a American name). He had a threatening tome in his voice and also called my place of employment. I have not talk to him or received anymore calls as of yet, I do know that it is some kind of scam which I will not fall for. For one thing bill collectors have never took out warrants or called the Sheriff's Dept. Maybe Mr. David Johnson needs to brush up  on America laws and how businesses handle people who do not make payments.

This message is for Rona B.
  Rona, the very second you receive this message I need you to retain a attorney or you to return this call.
The issue at hand is extremely time sensitive. My name is David Johnson, my hotline number to my division is 760-440-5421. Once again my number is 760-440-5421.
  Do not disregard this message. If you don't return the call and I don't hear from your attorney. The only thing
I can do for you is wish you good luck as this situation unfolds around you.
                                                                        Thank you

He had a threatening tone to his voice, he sounded like he was from the middle-east. He also called my place of employment threatening to have a warrant took out on me.

I am wondering if I can have a warrant taken out on him for terroristic threatening?

I am the manager of a business.  We have been receiving phone calls from them for a year and a half.  They ask for Ryan Jackson, who has never worked for us.  They become rude when we say we do not know who Ryan Jackson is.  Finally we were able to view their phone number (760) 440-5421, and called them back.

A woman answered and we told her to stop calling us, and if we continue to receive their phone calls we would call the police.

Ok they just got me yesturday.  Which I was a little worried only because for the first time my husband and I tried to get a payday advance.  Now they have to be getting our information for some sort of internet thing. We have never taken out an advance ever.  I sent this story to channel 3 maybe they can get a story out there to advise other people to not to fall for it.  It wouldnt be so bad if they werent threatning to be arrested.  They went as far as to tell me that they were going to arrest my husband and take him to los angeles ca. for prosecution.  And after he was prosecuted if he still did not have any money he was going to have to pay something like 8,000.00 dollars and serve 3 months in jail.  (REALLY) As if they know already what the judge is going to sentence someone too.  And being shipped to LA.  Come on people.  These people need to go down before they really get somebody.

just received 2 phone calls from this number claiming to be an attorneys office  first call to my supervisor at work stating that i would be sorry if i didnt call back  so i called back and was told i took out a payday loan and did not pay it back and would be arrested at work the following day and sent back to california where i would spend 70 days in jail.  looked the number up online and saw the posts of the same calls people have received.. called them back and confronted them with what i found and she hung up on me.  something needs to be done.  i could have lost my job over this and also stated i could send them 1,000 tonight and they would throw everything out.  i am getting a lawyer and suing them for harrassement.

i got a call from these people today they left me a message on my voice mail saying me or my attorney most call them he said his name was eric wison

SomeIndian guy. Don't take him seriously. He wants to serve you? Make him show papers

same thing happened to me but i have my lawyer and a family friend of the police department on this to shut them down so mabey it will stop soon

they there is a girl and guy   mike carter and michelle brown  frauds theyre not smart at all some how obtaining social security numbers for financial gain   said he stole mine from an office in virginia a social security office i called numerous times from two different phones  i want them shut down they are not atturnies and said i would be arrested for not paying a loan off such [***]