800-663-0158

Just go to your telephone company web site and BLOCK the offending number, so it will not be able to come thru.
But that's nothing permanent, because those Caller ID spoofers use a number for one day or so, then start to use some other number. The numbers they use are abandoned numbers, not yet reassigned by the telephone companies.
From Wikipedia:

Caller ID spoofing is the practice of causing the telephone network to display a number on the recipient's Caller ID display which is not that of the actual originating station. The term is commonly used to describe situations in which the motivation is considered malicious by the speaker or writer. Just as e-mail spoofing can make it appear that a message came from any e-mail address the sender chooses, Caller ID spoofing can make a call appear to have come from any phone number the caller wishes. Because of the high trust people tend to have in the Caller ID system, spoofing can call the system's value into question.

It is amazing that such a crooked practice is allowed to go on!
Where are the feds when I need them????? I wrote to my US Rep...no response!

Bottom line: IGNORE IT and never give the other side ANY information. PERIOD!

Call the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and your State Police. When they call back,

tell them that you are aware they are running an extortion ring, have notified the authorities

and hang up.

Kudos to "Sam" for giving the most intelligent and informative posts on this scam. READ,

Bookmark and use as needed:

https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-631-456-4041/2

I have been receiving phone calls from this group since late April / early May of 2010.  There is

a good chance that they also attempted to contact me roughly two years ago before I entered

into Chapter 7 Bankruptcy protection, as I faintly remember hearing the same script more or

less.

As others have stated, the callers are difficult to understand.  Generally speaking their

command of the English language is quite poor and their accents are hard to follow. At times

they will get certain words or phrases mixed up.  It would be funny if it wasn't for the fact that

they had:

a) Your SSN
b) Your home address
c) Your work address
d) Your banking info
e) Names, numbers and potentially the addresses of "references"
f) A complete and total lack of ethics and a basic understanding of the FDCPA.  

I have personally filed reports with the following agencies, often with limited (if any) success:

Local Police
my state's Attorney General's office
FTC
FBI
Secret Service

Generally the local police won't be able to help much.  The callers are using a combination of

prepaid cell phones and VoIP, making them difficult to trace.  Also at their disposal are various

spoofing tactics being implemented to catch people off guard - meaning the number that

appears on your Caller ID isn't the number that is calling you for starters.  Without gaining a

subpoena for the billing information for the numbers in question, the local police won't be able

to get very far.  

My state's Attorney General's office couldn't offer much assistance either.  I received a form

letter in the mail that my complaint was received and I would be contacted if they needed

additional info.  It was more or less the same information I obtained from the FTC.  They each

advised me not to give the individuals over the phone any account information or to authorize

payment.  That's just common sense, though.

I never got anything from the FBI, either.  There is a good chance that since I haven't suffered a

monetary loss that my concerns are low on the totem pole.  I hate to say this, but that is truly

the case. Unless you were in the hole for a $1,000 (or more) you aren't going to get much more

than "sorry to hear about your situation, change your phone number and move on".  I seemed

to get some activity from the Secret Service.  I spoke with agent Doug Zloto. (Google him,

referencing threads like these plus his name and you'll find his number also)  He seemed to care

a bit more than the average person, but after giving him access to my Google Voice account,

there has been no further activity from him that I'm aware of.

In the meantime I changed the wireless number the fraudsters had access to, they have no

direct way to get a hold of me.  (Calls at work have ceased for some reason)  That in turn

resulted in my "references" getting phone calls from the crooks.  Here is a word of caution for

women that have been getting these calls - don't say anything and just hang up.  The callers are

quite abusive towards women callers.  Why?  Possibly the culture.  If they are Indian /

Pakistani, women are second class citizens there.  You will be treated like garbage.  This

happened to a family member when she was trying her best to be extremely nice over the

phone.  

The callers currently attempt to reach me through the female family member and an unused

Google Voice number that they managed to find of mine.  I keep the Google Voice number open

because, well, I can't delete it yet.  So, about every day, 4-5 times a day for the last week, I get

voice messages from them.  It's usually just two full messages though - the other calls are

broken up with static or they are attempts to read the script until the callers then screw up.  

Really, they are that adamant on getting the script 100% that they will hang up mid-sentence

and call back 30 seconds later.  

At this point it's a stalemate with these people.  

1) While they have the lion's share of information on us, they can't really do anything with this

information.  

Why?  Think about it.

If they were to ever take funds out of your account without authorization, it's fraud and worse

(for them) it is traceable.  That's why they won't do anything with your information, contrary to

threats they make.  The money from your account has to go somewhere, and either your bank

or a law enforcement agency can determine where the money was routed.  As a bank customer

you are protected - you'd get the stolen money back in your account after 7-10 business days

and the bank would be temporarily out the funds deducted from your account while they

conducted their investigation.  The bank, along with law enforcement, would track down the

fraudsters and apprehend them.  The fraudsters do not want to incur the wrath of a bank, just

extort money out of you.  Remember that.    

Your authorization would absolve the bank from any and all liability, leaving you holding the

bag.  Never give them authorization for anything - for all you know the call is recorded.  

2) We have no information on them.

Seriously, this has been going on at least since 2008, possibly longer than that based on some

accounts. (6 years??? Holy crap!)  You would think someone would have slipped up by now.  

Sadly, they haven't.  We can continue to grow our own intel on them and compile lists of aliases

and phone numbers used, along with paraphrases of scripts used in order to educate other

victims.  I'm actually putting together a site now in the meantime where I'll host audio files and

lists of previous numbers used.  800notes.com is great, but no two calls are exactly the same.  

It would be nice to have a site dedicated to the scam and how it works.

So that's where I am with these calls.  I have suffered no monetary loss, though I have been

harassed both at home and at work.  They threaten me with arrest and other "fun" things in

order to get me convinced I have to pay them.  My friends and family have been targeted and

local and federal law enforcement agencies haven't been able to put a stop to things.  So, it is

what it is.  I am out a wireless phone number I had for roughly six years, which is terrible since I

was using that line when looking for a new job.  

Whenever I'm bored I spoof my number using Google Voice and return the calls.  I've called

them the poster children for birth control, etc.  Basically a lot of nasty things that I'm sure the

moderators here wouldn't appreciate me repeating - bottom line nothing nice.  I always like to

close saying their parents must be real proud knowing their sons weren't man enough to get

real jobs.  That usually gets a decent response.  

Way I see it - they can't do anything to me. (Despite a threat yesterday that my life would be

f'ed up)  They can threaten all they want but my credit is frozen and my bank information has

changed.  I've changed the only number they could really access me directly on and I've

instructed my employer and family to not answer the calls.  I just call and harass them now

when I find a few extra seconds.  What's the worst they can do to me?  Charge me with

harassment?  

Nope, then they would have to identify themselves.

Oh, and don't bother contacting Cashnet USA about the calls.  Their "fraud" department could

honestly care less.  Their "investigation" is merely a means of buerocratic CYA.  I would even be

surprised at this point if actual law enforcement is involved in any shape, way or form at this

time.  

There is a good chance that the information these crooks have on us was obtained from

Cashnet USA - either from a database leak or from a collector that was once authorized by

Cashnet to call on delinquent customers.  The other chance is they have access to Teletrack,

and pulled all of our information off of there.

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

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
1-831-607-9214
1-972-674-3753
1-646-918-5211
1-206-202-4942
1-206-337-7992
1-206-339-8218
1-561-318-0446
1-585-250-8090
1-347-827-0921
1-607-398-0725
1-888-610-5486
1-585-861-9940
1-909-233-7338
1-646-416-9016
1-805-262-6170
1-661-270-6724
1-561-705-0140
1-310-807-0220
1-347-637-6473
1-951-582-4832
1-909-503-0682
1-818-579-7691
1-347-321-6497
1-206-666-3611
1-206-203-0712
1-347-875-8418
1-347-875-9600
1-206-629-9392
1-818-532-9007
1-310-853-3491
1-347-377-7368
1-321-300-4091
1-866-840-2030
1-760-588-2207
1-845-360-0920
1-415-259-5025
1-347-637-6452
1-818-275-4539
1-707-673-9475
1-714-485-9593
1-909-565-4286
1-714-733-5614
1-512-501-3639
1-347-688-9900
1-914-269-4450
1-650-425-1020
1-888-500-2534
1-347-827-3814
1-410-849-9353
1-803-400-8483
1-951-281-4802
1-858-224-8121
1-347-637-6485
1-631-209-6009
1-480-463-1613
1-646-719-9237
1-727-487-5327
1-516-453-9112
1-951-582-4833
1-410-834-2832
1-877-906-8903
1-215-207-9364
1-617-531-2607
1-206-892-3600
1-800-622-0484
1-512-524-3409
1-718-713-8750
1-951-582-4840
1-832-460-8297
1-646-396-7759
1-866-805-8001
1-630-332-0774
1-209-560-6572
1-718-819-7997
1-347-349-7287
1-800-373-1577
1-206-388-4845
1-800-614-2800
1-860-657-9599
1-866-792-9306
1-866-659-4140
1-800-985-9285
1-866-415-5400
1-954-979-5946
1-209-790-3795
1-973-500-3118
1-800-435-4794
1-214-446-9831
1-800-654-7444
1-866-443-6227
1-252-458-7493
1-888-407-7872
1-866-853-4965
1-888-387-1419
1-347-418-0224
1800-349-9418
1800-663-0158
1512-646-2003
1310-853-3491
1410-636-1871


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.

PS--The FBI sent out a Press Release on this scam just last week:

Extortion Scam Related to Delinquent Payday Loans

Washington, D.C.
December 07, 2010  FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691

— filed under: Press Release

The Internet Crime Complaint Center has received many complaints from victims of payday

loan telephone collection scams. Callers claim the victim is delinquent in a payday loan and

must repay the loan to avoid legal consequences. The callers purport to be representatives of

the FBI, Federal Legislative Department, various law firms, or other legitimate-sounding

agencies. They claim to be collecting debts for companies such as United Cash Advance, U.S.

Cash Advance, U.S. Cash Net, and other Internet check-cashing services.

According to complaints received from the public, the callers have accurate data about victims,

including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, employer information, bank

account numbers, and the names and telephone numbers of relatives and friends. How the

fraudsters obtained the personal information varies, but in some cases victims have reported

they completed online applications for other loans or credit cards before the calls started.

The fraudsters relentlessly call the victim’s home, cell phone, and place of employment. They

refuse to provide any details about the alleged payday loans and become abusive when

questioned. The callers have threatened victims with legal actions, arrests, and, in some cases,

physical violence if they do not pay. In many cases, the callers harass victims’ relatives, friends,

and employers.

Some fraudsters have instructed victims to fax a statement agreeing to pay a certain amount,

on a specific date, via a pre-paid Visa card. The statement further declares the victim will never

dispute the debt.

If you receive these calls, do not follow the caller’s instructions. Rather, you should:

Notify your banking institutions.
Contact the three major credit bureaus and request an alert be put on your file.
Contact your local law enforcement agencies if you feel you are in immediate danger.
File a complaint at www.IC3.gov.
Tips to avoid becoming a victim of this scam:

Never give your Social Security number—or personal information of any kind—over the

telephone or online unless you initiate the contact.
Be suspicious of any e-mail with urgent requests for personal financial information. The e-mail

may include upsetting or exciting but false statements to get you to react immediately.
Avoid filling out forms in e-mail messages that request personal information.
Ensure that your browser is up-to-date and security patches have been applied.
Check your bank, credit, and debit card statements regularly to make sure that there are no

unauthorized transactions. If anything looks suspicious, contact your bank and all card issuers.
When you contact companies, use numbers provided on the back of cards or statements

http://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/paydayloanscam_120710