866-907-1005

I received a Restricted call from a PI stating I had a case pending against me for check fraud and that he was planning on serving me today but when I told him that I barely write checks and I know for a fact that no check would have ever bounced my bank, he gave me a phone # to call which is 1-866-907-1005 with a case # that started with A and asked me to ask them for a form thats called ROF? wth. So I called the number and some lady answered and she went through her speal, gave her the case number and she went on stating that I took out a pay day loan and the check I provided to the Loan Company, bounced. When I asked her what bank, she proceeded to tell me that it was Regions and she stated that they have sent letters to an address that I haven't lived there for 6 years. I explained to her that I don't bank with Regions and all my mail is forwarded to my new address, so therefore this should not be happening. I asked her to go ahead and verify my DOB & SSN, when she did, the info did not match mine. I told her that they must have the wrong person, because the info she has does not match my name nor did I take out some PAY DAY LOAN in 2010 or EVER. Didn't give out any correct info, of course. She stated she would go ahead and stop the PI from serving me? So, I asked her to go ahead and send me an email stating that my name was cleared and she kept cutting me off, and I basically told her that if they were a real business, I am sure they have access to an email. She said she would send me an email. I gave her 30mins to send it. When I didnt get it, I called back and the same woman answered as the operator, I asked her for the address and she put me on hold for 10 mins. I hung up and called back and a guy answered this time, named "Jonathan", I proceeded to ask him for the address and he got smart with me and stated I was the one that had legal action against me and that there was no need for him to give me his address. I explained to him that I needed at least a location, such as CITY or STATE whatever, he proceeded to be a major [***] about it stating he is an attorney for Continental Law Group and that I was calling his place of work blah blah blah blah. I told him he was rude and went ahead on telling him to go ahead and take legal action against me and I will take him to court for IDENTITY FRAUD and hung up on him. I am curious how big of a scam this is? Has anyone else dealt with these morons? Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

I got a phone call from this John Davis twice at work, three times at home, and four times on my cell phone. I was told basically the same thing you were told, and they had been trying to serve me papers at my old home address that I haven't lived in for over a year. My mail is also forwarded so any letters they would have sent me would have been forwarded. I did however have an old debt from that time frame, but it had been PAID IN FULL! I actually have a copy of the bank statement showing the EFT transaction showing this debt had been paid. I received a case number that started with an A, and was given the same phone number on voice mails that had been left for me, of course all the numbers on the caller ID are restricted. This John Davis told me I was a S$*TBAG that didn't pay my bills and that he had the Sheriff on the way to see me to arrest me for check fraud and that he would have me listed FTA for court. OK here is what I have done, and what I know.

1. You cannot have someone listed FTA (failure to appear) that has a warrant for your arrest attached for a civil or small claims order. That is what something like this would be, not criminal.

2. In many states (my state is one of them) there is a website available that you can do a case search to determine if someone has any open cases or pending litigation. I checked the website, nothing, and called the Clerk of Courts, NOTHING AGAIN!!

3. I have contacted the BBB for my state and they are sending me the forms to file a complaint against this company. Continental Law Group. They are also provided me contact information for an attorney that handles this in my area.

4. I called me local sheriff and asked if they had any processes to serve on me, and gave him the name of a Mr. Hall who is supposed to be the process server who left me one of the voice messages (funny he sounded a lot like Mr. Davis on the phone), and they have NOTHING.... Shock shock!

I contacted these jokers again when I got home and spoke with a Lori in their office and she informed me that she didn't understand why someone in that office had treated me that way, and how she was going to report Mr. Davis and have him fired. (yeah right) Then she informed me she would speak with the attorney supervisors in the office and investigate this situation about whether any case will be pending. I let her go, and then found a threatening voice mail on my cell phone from Mr. Davis and I called back so I could play it back for her. Some other lady answered, but gee they must have caller ID because they knew who I was and I never gave my name or file number..... they hung up on me, and I called them back again, and imagine that.... Lori answered the phone sounding out of breath because apparently she had just run back to her desk from talking to the supervisor about my account....yeah .... right again! I played the vm back for her and told her I will be attaching it to my complaint with the BBB and any potential class action law suit that I may pursue with other individuals they are trying to defraud. She informed me that they were a legit company and she was sorry for the inconvenience and they would get back with me. Needless to say I doubt I will ever hear back from them.

I have reported this to the local police. They have been to my house, agree it is a scam, and plan to monitor this situation for more people in my area. If this continues in my area in the coming days they will publish a public notice to protect the vulnerable in my area. BEWARE.... THIS IS A SCAM!

Payday Loan Scam Victims Threatened With Legal Action, Violence
Scammers Have Social Security Numbers, Bank Account Numbers, Other Personal Information
Updated: 9:51 am CST February 25, 2012

Text SizeAAAJANESVILLE, Wis. -- The Internet Crime Complaint Center has received many complaints from victims of payday loan telephone collection scams, said the Rock County Sheriff's Office.

The ICC is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National White Collar Crime Center that receives and investigates Internet-related criminal complaints, according to its website. The ICC said these telephone scammers often say the victim is delinquent in a payday loan and must repay the loan to avoid legal consequences.

Callers claim to be representatives of the FBI, Federal Legislative Department, various law firms, or other legitimate-sounding agencies, 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 scammers 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 callers obtained the personal information varies, but some victims reported completing online applications for other loans or credit cards before the calls started.

Victims said the scammers relentlessly call their homes, cellphones and places of employment, according to the ICC. Scammers refuse to provide any details about the alleged payday loans and have reportedly 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, the ICC reports.

Some scammers have instructed victims to fax a statement agreeing to pay a certain amount, on a specific date, via a prepaid Visa card. The statement said the victim will never dispute the debt.

If you receive these calls, the Rock County Sheriff's Office said 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 email with urgent requests for personal financial information. The email may include upsetting or exciting but false statements to get you to react immediately.
•Avoid filling out forms in email 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.
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