866-840-7981

Legal matter.. voicemail.. with a lot of information about being served.. doesn't specify who will be served... Asks for any weapons or large animals to be put away when they serve you within 48 hours

Criminals are masquerading as debt collectors in an attempt to extort money from people by scaring them into believing that:
a.    You are going to be sued and it will cost you lots of money when they allegedly “win” their case.
b.    That they are about to file criminal charges or that you will be criminally charged (they use the bad check or hot check claim a lot) and go to jail, even though debt is civil not criminal, there are no criminal charges, and debtor’s prison was outlawed over 200 years ago.
c.    That they will take away your driver’s license.
d.    That will garnish your wages without actually being suing you, going to court, or even winning a case and obtaining a judgement followed by a judge’s consent to the garnishment.  They also claim that your wages will be garnished in amounts far above all legal limits.

One of the tricks they use is to call your family, friends, neighbors and/or places of employment (past or present or both) to create panic and embarrassment so that their intended victim calls them and they can scare that person into paying their extortion money.  They often call people that have never even been associated with you because they get erroneous information off of the internet.

They will use the words “Mediator”, “Arbitrator”, “Law Office” or claim that they are a “Lawyer or Paralegal” to make you believe that they are something other than a debt collector want-a-be and that they don’t have to follow Federal and State collection laws, even though they do have to follow those laws.  They also tell you that if you fail to call them back you are "waiving your right to council" or that “the case will proceed without you” which is pretty much nothing but hogwash.  They tell you that they need a “statement” from you regarding the complaint and if you don’t call back they “wish you good luck as things unfold”. They use the phrase “consider yourself notified/served” or “govern yourself accordingly” a lot, something they should do themselves.


They claim they are officers of the court, or that an officer will accompany them, or even that they are sending officers to arrest you.  All hogwash.  They tell you to lock up your dogs and guns for “everyone’s” protection.  More hogwash.

They mention that they have received a Fax document, to create the sense of urgency and tell you that they are a “process server”. This is simply ruse to get you to call another number where they will ask for money to “make it go away” (this is actually the same place, they work in teams, one pretending to be the server, and the other usually pretends to be a lawyer).  Process servers do not ever call ahead so that you can dodge them.  Process servers get paid to serve papers, nothing else.  

It is incumbent upon them under the law to prove that the debt exists and that you owe it, and that they have the legal right to collect it.  You are not obligated under the law to prove that you don’t owe or that it is paid.  

Federal law (FDCPA) requires them to send you a letter (US MAIL ONLY) postmarked within 5 days of their first contact that contains their name, physical address, the creditor’s name, and the amount of the alleged debt.  It also must contains “mini-Miranda” telling you that it is an attempt to collect a debt and that all information will be used for those purposes.  The one other important thing that this letter must also have in it is that you have a right to dispute the debt within 30 days of receipt of the letter and if you do so, all collection activity must be stopped until the debt is verified.

Read up on your rights here and also make a complaint at this government site:  http://www.consumerfinance.gov/

Also file a complaint with your State Attorney General's office.
List of State AG’s offices:   https://800notes.com/faq/attorney-general

just got this message as well - how real is this?

The information above is absolutely correct. This phone call is a scam. A legitimate debt collector will provide documentation in writing and if someone really is suing you, they will not call ahead and warn you. They just show up.

Got the same message just now. Calls himself Marcus, and he speaks like he is reading from a cue card. Not convincing whatsoever. Should consider voice and acting lessons. Pay no mind to these scammers.

1-866-840-7981 or 855-892-0302   warning scam fraud caller
do not give out any info - report these numbers to the ftc and report their harrassing and endless calls!!
The ftc number to complain is 1-888-382-1222

Same issue going to be wearing orange vest make sure all large animals and weapons are put away coming to get no name

Multiple harassing calls all day long

Have been getting these phone call for over a year now. They just called 3 times in a row

Get calls every day from phone number 1-866-840-7981 harrasing me to pay some payday loan from 2012.Total scam.-

Same thing as the others. I do not owe anyone any money. Its a scam. Do not give any information. Debt collectors are not allowed to leave a message as these people do. I've been getting these calls for about 6 months now. Even called my job. It's scary how these people get your personal information.

This is the messagw that was left in my voicemail...
This is Marcus Goldstein. I'm contacting you to make you aware that I am in route to deliver you a legal notice. I'm coming out to the address on file. We do require all weapons hats and firearms to be secured in the property. I will be in uniform wearing in orange vest with NPC courier labels across the chest. If you are not the investigated party and wish to be taking out of our records. You may call 8558920302.

Scam scam scam... tried to call the number back and it wants you to press 5 to connect. If you press a different number, it hangs up on you....
Scam scam scam...

Same person as noted above, word for word cue card reading. I don't owe anyone money.

Got a call at work saying coming to serve legal papers in orange vest...To put dogs and guns away.. Says you have been notified...we have gotten this call before... scammers... Surprised though they didn't ask for money or anything on last call...

same thing today (07/06/2017)

Marcus Goldstein phoned today 7-6-17. Said exactly the same as mentioned previously . Gave different number to call back to disouter notice.

Marcus Goldstein has been dead looked up name. So got call I don't owe any money. Also, this is a threat against people who don't anything. So I will report to police and the stupid idiots also don't know I'm a investgative lawyer. Also, FYI different country using different numbers. Also,  I hope they read this. Also, people who do scams can get 866 and other numbers.

Sorry, for my poor writing. I'm very tired. Just wash this call away!

Same as all of the above

That number just called me, told me I was looking at federal charges if I didn't pay 3,000