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These are the most vile type of people preying on the elderly - they have been harassing my 80 year old mother with the same scam described by others on this post.  My mother has never had an unpaid debt in her life!  I have just filed a formal complaint with the local police and I will be pursuing all available avenues to bring these people to justice.  Shame on them!

I started getting phone messages telling me that they have a returned item from the bank. I don't owe any thing to anyone, I write very few checks, I know I have nothing outstanding. I started getting these calls after I left a brochure at a recreation center advertising my small business, no address. I think it is possible a scam.

This is a version of the you-have-committed-a-crime extortion scam and you are being...
1. summoned/investigated/charged/whatever with fraud/embezzlement/passing_bad_checks/whatever or
2. served with a court_summons/arrest_warrant/bench_warrant/whatever or
3. located in preparation to_be_served/for_a_lawsuit/to_be_arrested/whatever or
4. sued for cable TV usage that you've been stealing for years or
5. whatever stupid crap reasons they will think up next.

And you have to...
1. call back with your case number or
2. confirm your address/birthdate/SSN/whatever so you can be served or your papers processed or
3. pay $895 now to avoid paying $5,000 in court or
4. whatever stupid crap reasons they will think up next.

Beware extortion scams come in many flavors and they constantly evolve to stay one step ahead of the law.
The FBI warns about payday loan extortion scams here http://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/paydayloanscam_120710 
The BBB has issued several alerts on this scam, just google "bbb.org alert phony debt collector"
Never do what they tell you to do but report them to the Internet Crime Complaint Center http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx , the Federal Communications Commission http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm , the Federal Trade Commission https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ and your state AG http://www.naag.org/current-attorneys-general.php as appropriate.