Call for unknown collection
Complaint
Nancy Vansant
Country: United States
Very foreign sounding woman giving name as Margaret Wilson from the DOJ - Department of Justice at 440-695-3062 ext 1858 - wanted me to verify last of SS# over phone - said it ws a legal matter and very important. I have received a number of these types of calls over the last year - each one is a very foreign, heavy accented man or woman - very insistant about the matter wanted me to verify information
Comments
Apparently it has become easy for criminals to obtain access to consumer identity, credit report, and skip-trace information, even bank account numbers, which they now use to run phony "payday loan" extortion rackets. Many of these are conducted from overseas, often India, as evidenced by complaints reporting that callers have "thick Indian accents", but there are also a number of phony debt collection extortion rackets being run from several locations in the U.S.
This recent complaint shows up, also reporting an extortion attempt by fake "debt collectors" claiming they are "the Justice Department". They apparently also go by the alias "Bryon Keith & Associates".
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-708-689-8173
"i received a call and they said they where calling on behalf of Advance America Cash Advance. They said I owed money on a loan that never had.I was so scared i made a 100 down payment. I knew I never gt a loan from AACA. So I called AACA I was no where in their database. They informed me that i should have not gave them my card number.She went on and told me to ask the so call justice department to email me the documents. Eric said he would email me them when i Paid what I owe. He tried to tell AACA was lying, it's funny they called their selves the Justice Department but when the money was debited it said Bryon and Keith & Associates."
"They said the were calling from the FBI"
"a "Supervisory Agent Stanely Morgan" who proceeded to tell me that the Dept. of Justice was going to be showing up at my house to investigate a PayDay Advance at 10am"
"I asked to speak to his supervisor or at least someone whose first language is English and he said that he was the only supervisor and that he does not have a boss. He also tried to tell me that everyone there speaks perfect English with no accent and I was the one with a hard to understand accent. "
Common scam third-party call.
"Woman with heavy accent calls, says she's from Dept of Justice and do I know a woman named (a friends actual name). "
"The first time he was agent George Washington from the DOJ, this time he was James Brown from the DOJ asking about a friend. "
Usual scam threats.
"He then asked me if I knew why I would have complaints against my social security number. Of course I said no. He then put me on w/ his supervisor, an Officer Craig Floyd (also sound Indian- had a hard time understanding him & his employee). He stated that I am being investigated for defrauding a financial institution( as well as several other "charges" by accepting funds into my bank account (he named my bank, specifically!!) & refused to pay it back. After threatening me w/ being arrested & several questions from me, he stated the last 4 digits of my SSN, my address & place of work. "
Bunch of Indian phone extortionists.
They are, however, vulnerable at two points:
1) Their phone provider. They may be using VoIP, but most likely use the same carrier even though they may change phone numbers frequently.
2) Their method of getting the money transferred.
If the scam got that far, how did they say payment should be sent?
Western Union?
MoneyGram?
Other?
That is typical of the amount claimed with this type of con. Basically a nuisance amount they figure enough people can scrape up to make them go away.
"I advised that I never got a loan from this company, in fact, all loans that I received had been paid in full."
But since you, like many Americans, have taken out such loans, they will try to con you. They can just call Americans at random, and try this con, or they also set up fake "payday loan" websites and get id information when people "apply".
Did you apply for any payday loans, and not get them?
"She advised that garnishment papers would be sent out. Did I want to voluntarily or involuntarly take care of this."
They make up whatever threats they think will scare you into paying them. Since they are overseas, they can make up ANY threats with no fear of reprisals or lawsuits. Tell her you want "involuntary", in fact you want HER to come "garnish" you. Sounds kinky.
"I advised that I wasn't paying a dime and that I work for a law enforcement agency and they would hear from my attorney. "
An employee in the Kansas Attorney General's office was targeted by one of these Indian scammers. There is a press release on it.
"The lady that I spoke with stated her name was Amy Jones. "
Sure it is... Liars.
"Ms. Jones stated that the parent company is One Click Cash, but that I could have received the money from one of there other companies. I asked what company, she could not tell me. "
She will miraculously find the "file" and tell you once you tell her what company you once had a loan from. Liars.
They are a bunch of liars, just criminals calling from India trying to con people into paying for these fake "payday loans". You cannot believe ANYTHING they tell you, even if they have your id information.
More likely really bad English with an Indian accent.
At some point, they have to use access to wire transfer or payment procesing companies, like Western Union or Moneygram.
Did they say how they wanted the money sent?
They keep changing their phone numbers, to try to keep ahead of the fraud complaints. Often they use VoIP, both for cheap calling from overseas, and to allow them to select various area codes to show up as.
Typical of the language used by foreign (Indian) fake "debt collection" scammers. Did he have a thick accent?
"i said i would pay the next week because i was making settlement on a house that day and did not have the money "
Bet that made him drool. Don't be surprised if he steps up the threats and harassment.
Ignore them, regardless of their threats.
They cannot carry out their threats.
These "debts" are fake, and the callers are just criminals running an extortion racket.
File a complaint with the FBI.
The crooked debt collectors, and in particular the criminal fake debt collectors, always use the phone, since that is their best chance to use decepttion and threats in a con, in an attempt to panic people into paying without any chance to check it out.
Your call is consistent with a fake debt shakedown racket.
Other complaints against that number. Complaints against number start April 19.
Only recent complaint history is consistent with a fake collection con which keeps changing numbers.
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-510-214-8399
"They called me saying they would contact my employer regarding money laundering and that I would be under arrest."
" they said that i owed these people money and that they would send a police after me and arrest me but i never heard of these people and that they will be severing me papers but at the same time he was requesting this payment in one hour and the guy that i was talking to always sounded the same. by the way and when i told him to talk to my former police officer friend he got really upset and hung up on me. "
"acs law firm" [common fake name used by these scams]
" got a call from this number. saying i owed 3500 dollars for a loan that I was supposed to repay within 7 days but didn't. Always the same guy. East indian I think by his voice"
It is definitely a fake debt collection con.
Bunch of liars, probably calling from India.