646-918-5417

received voicemail message from this number from someone named Sam Johnson did not sound like a Sam Johnson who stated he would make sure I lost my job if I did not call back by tonight. tried calling back of course a answer machine

Similiar call but goes by timothy Robinson and believe me that's no Timothy Robinson, it's a bunch bs this person or people doing to get money from you. It's all fake dumb india guy on the phone trying to be all smart but he a dumbass

Received the same call. He said his name was Ronnie something.  Left a detailed message. Threating me.  Has called three time in the past hour.  My thoughts are to call the police and report him so he doesn't hurt anyone.

I received a few phone calls in the past couple days at home and at my work.  All the postings I have seen about this number all took place this week which I find very interesting!  The person said his name was Ronnie Cooper, but the truth of the matter is, his name should have been Rami Patel.  He was very hard to understand, but left me threatening messages saying if I didn't call back then all he could do was wish me good luck and God bless!  Are you kidding!?  I was able to speak with him over the phone and I really ripped him a new one, he hasn't called since.  I told him that I never heard of a Payday Loan and don't know how they got my personal information, but if he had called again or if he were to send his investigating team after me, he'd not know what would hit him!  He stated he was a lawyer....I'VE NEVER IN MY LIFE HEARD OF A LAWYER WHICH USES A FAKE NAME!  If he had been an attorney like he said, then he should be more familiar with the laws and as far as threats and harassment.  If anyone needs any luck, it's him!

Hi just got same call from same number stating he was a lawyer and that I was going to court if I didn't pay a loan that I supposedly received from Cash Advance America. Never received such loan. Then I asked for their client's phone number to talk to them myself and he gave a a number with the same area code as theirs. When I called it was them again, not the client. When I told them that they lied to me, he hung up the phone. Then called back to same number and guess how they answered!!!! "Cash Advance America how may I help you?" I almost about died. I told them who are you people?! Then he stated again he was a paralegal. I asked why he answered the phone cash advance America? He had no answer and just hung up the phone on me. I am so filing a report. These people are crazy!

Hi just got same call from same number at my work and home  he did not state what company he was calling from and when I called the number back he then stated he was a Lawyer and that I owed
Cash Advance America. Never received such loan. He did have some of my personal information and stated that legal papers were being sent to my employer ......I am going to try to contact the attorney general of my State if anyone knows of someone better to contatc please let me know. Thanks

They Have been calling a thirteen yo friend of mine. They actually mwhere ablew to ring through as a 911 EMERGENCY number somehow WHEN THE PHONE WAS OFF!!!!

They threatened to send people to his door and even offered him strippers!!!!!


These guys are sick -calling over 50 times in the last two to three days. Id'd themselves as Ronnie Cooper and Kevin.

oh... to clarify - the phone was disconnected due to lack of payment and they rang through as 911 EMERGENCY Number. they kept asking the 13 yo where he lives so they could send 20 strippers and where very lewed on the phone.

Ronnie called me at 7:30 in the morning and left me a message saying that he was a lawyer and that if my attorney didn;t get back to him that he couldn't do anything but wish me good luck and God bless.  He called me all the way to one in the afternoon, a total of over 70 times.  I told him to stop calling and then he called from 911 number.  He told me that he was going to bring twenty strippers and then rape me when he was done.  What a man messing with a thirteen year old boy

Ronnie rang me and offered me money for hand relief. I accepted

I just got my "son" a phone so that I could keep up with him, and this "Ronnie" person has stolen almost 300 min from us.  Apparently, these are the same people that hacked into my roommates laptop.  So just keep an open mind about this and anything funny happening on your comp.

this ronnie cooper guy has called me 182 times in the last 2 days he has been sexually harassing me  
he also knew where i live and my childs and hubbys  name. when i stop picking up the phone he called me off my sisters phone number. he also has drained my bank and as over drafted me 300 $.

I have received several calls saying that I got a Cash Advance Loan and when I finally got a date out of them they said March 2009.  They said they were sending investigators and would see me in court.  When I asked what courthouse and when they said they couldn't give me that information....I didn't even have a job much less a checking account back then.  So I know for a fact this crap is fake...

Just received the same phone call from the same guy. He threatened to take my father to court over a supposed $300 loan, that now over a period of 6 mos of not been paid, it had escalated to $780. I told him that for that kind of accusation, they needed to send hardcopies of all their evidence, along with a certfied letter, that assured the customer what he/she was being accused. He said that nothing could be mailed at this point, and that his investigative time will show up at our door.
I told him that no one went o court for $300 or $780, that with all the court, and attorneys fees the company was going to spend more than the $$ the loaned. He said that my father had to pay for ALL such fees, plus the TOTAL amount of the loan. I told him that they were crazy...and that if he was a lawyer that he should learn to speak English first, and hanged-up!

This A$$hole is a TOTAL SCAM!  He states his name is Ronnie Cooper, his REAL NAME is Rami Patel.
He leaves threatening voicemails pertaining to pending lawsuits, money owed, and that he works for a private firm.  He ends his message with "Good Day and God Bless".  When I called back and asked for information pertaining to said lawsuit or the firm he represents he has no information. and hangs up.    He is a total scam, please warn as many people as you can.  I informed my phone carrier and placed a block on his # and he can no longer call me.  I recommend also for anyone that  has recieved calls from this CREEP!!!

SCAM!!!!!!!!!

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Beware of Fake Payday Loan Debt Collection Scam

by Gerri Detweiler on 09/08/2010
     

 Snapshot 2010-09-08 13-06-51 For a year now, we’ve been getting complaints in the Credit.com forums about fake payday loan debt collectors. So I wasn’t surprised when I read the announcement this week by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan warning Illinois residents to “be on the alert for scam artists posing as collectors of payday loan debt. The scammers call consumers and threaten them with legal action unless the victims authorize payments from their bank accounts.” Her office has received numerous complaints.

These are not your normal debt collection calls. In many cases, these collectors are very aggressive. Here are some of the threats reported on our forums:

“…we would have to appear in court at 11:00am tomorrow morning, we would be charged with internet fraud, would be put in jail, could be sentenced to 4 months in prison, etc.”

“…said that if I didn’t pay $1,095.87, the police was going to come to my house and arrest me and take me to jail.”

“…wont give me company name and he tried to cuss me out…”

Just to be clear, these are not collectors trying to collect legitimate debts. Most of the complaints on our forums, and to the IL AG involve consumers who either never took out a payday loan, or who may have initiated one but never actually secured the loan. In some cases, the “collector” has detailed information about the victim – such as name, address and Social Security number – which makes the debt appear to be real.

Here’s what to do if you get a call like this:

   Ask the collector for  the name and address of the collection agency for which he or she works. Then ask him to send you written information about the debt.  Any legitimate debt collection agency will do this because it’s required under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
   If the caller won’t give you this information, hang up. If a phone number is available through caller ID, report the call on our forums and to your state attorney general and the FTC.
   Don’t let one of these companies scare you into making payments if you’re not sure you owe the debt. In most cases, collectors must first take you to court and get a judgment before they can go after your wages or property. (If you live in Minnesota, though, read this warning.)

By the way, you can’t be arrested simply because you can’t afford to pay a debt. (Warning, though, there are cases where consumers are jailed in connection with debts because they failed to appear in court after a summons was issued.)

The Illinois Attorney General’s office says the bogus debt collectors they’ve heard about use a variety of names, including: Morgan & Associates, Federal Bureau of Investigators, DNR Recovery, DNI Recovery, Legal Accounts Association, Department of Law and Enforcement, CashNet USA, America Legal Services, Quick Cash, and ACS. If you hear from any of those companies, be sure to report them immediately to your state Attorney General’s office and the Federal Trade Commission.

And share your experience with us on the Credit.com forums.

Image: Abu Badali




Tagged as: ACS, America Legal Services, CashNet USA, Department of Law and Enforcement, DNI Recovery, DNR Recovery, Federal Bureau of Investigators, Legal Accounts Association, Morgan & Associates, payday loan debt collection, payday loan scam, Quick Cash

Gerri Detweiler Credit.com's Personal Finance Expert, Gerri focuses on financial legislation, budgeting, debt recovery and consumer savings information. She is also the co-author of Debt Collection Answers: How to Use Debt Collection Laws to Protect Your Rights, and Reduce Stress: Real-Life Solutions for Solving Your Credit Crisis. Reach Gerri at creditexperts@credit.com.
Comments

98 comments… add a comment

bankruptcy September 9, 2010 at 12:30 PM

   Great tips. If I have known about it, I would not have been taken for a ride. I actually paid one of these scammers $299 to have a payday loan expedited. If only I know how to prevent it back then. Thanks again.

   Reply
Check Credit Rating September 14, 2010 at 4:42 PM

   I have recieved these types of calls just recently. I has applied for a internet payday loan but never heard back. Now I recieve threats saying that I owe money and the caller is very aggressive. They must have got my information from my application in some sort of shared business to scam people.

   Reply
Jaime causey September 22, 2010 at 3:44 PM

   We have someone from 917-677-8913 claiming we took out a cash advance for 500.00 in march and never pd. The man said his name was Brian Smith with Payday Collections Bureau and we i asked him why we haven’t received anything in the mail he said they weren’t allowed to contact people by mail……they are threating to sue us in court….

   Reply

   Victoria April 30, 2011 at 5:06 PM

       I am dealing with the EXACT same thing, Only Brian Smith is calling me from a different telephone number and is saying I am guilty for money laundering and if I do not pay him I will go to prison.

       Reply

       Gerri Detweiler May 9, 2011 at 10:56 AM

           Money laundering…jail…not allowed to contact debtors by mail…It would be funny if it they weren’t so threatening!

           Reply

Tina September 23, 2010 at 1:29 PM

   I had a similar call last week claiming I defaulted on a PDL from 2008 which I did take out and also did pay back in full when it was due. They are threatening me with court and possible criminal prosecution for check fraud. The name of the person who called was Timothy and he was calling from something called ADR firm on behalf of his client. He said the client is BG Capital Associates and that they bought the debt from Money and More (who is the company I had the PDL through back in 2008. The phone # they called from and also had me call back was 716-748-6566 and 716-748-6519. Has anyone else heard of these people or had similar experience?

   Reply

   TAH November 8, 2010 at 3:28 PM

       YES .. I am getting the same calls as you and from the same guy .. Timothy and yes, he said he is calling from ADR .. and today I got a call from a Tom Hayden who didn’t identify the company he was with .. he said he received a fax in his office and I had one chance to clear it up by calling 877 548-4064 .. he said I have charges pending against me and would be served. He didn’t leave a number he could be reached at .. only ADR’s number. When I called the lady said that I owed a PD loan and that I needed to pay it right then over the phone by credit card or debit card or give them a family member’s credit card etc .. otherwise I was going to be served and would have to go to court and possibly be jailed for check fraud. She then put her “boss” on the phone who said his name was Gregory Scott and he said he would do me a favor and reduce the amount owed by 200.00 which is what he was going to pay the server to come and serve me papers but only if I could secure him payment right now with a debit card or credit card. I asked him where he thought I could get one and he said ACE cash express .. I told him I didn’t have a credit card nor did I have a pre-paid debit card .. I asked him for the information in writing so I could verifiy that they were legit and he hung up on me. Seriously, maybe we should do something about this ADR company .. they called my cousin and I have never used my cousin as reference on ANYTHING and they threatened him (this during the time when he just lost his sister to cancer) and they told him he needed to secure my debt.

       Reply

       Jerri January 18, 2011 at 5:04 PM

           Today I came in from a stressful day, phone rings and it is some stupid chick telling me I was going to be served and have to go to court if I didn’t call this number at ADR – 877-801-8348. I asked her what was she talking about. She said, “I can’t tell you the records are sealed!” She then said ” if you call this number that will prevent you from a lot of trouble!” I said “No thanks, I would rather know what the trouble is, serve me!” I live in a remote part of the country – P.O. Box only – I also knew I had not been responsible for anything illegal. Have been a grown up now for several years and knew –my life was clean! I told her if she called me back that I was going to turn her into the AG’s Office and hung up. A few minutes later my mom called said some girl was looking for me and I needed to call that number. My mom is 83 and we just went through w losses, my dad and my brother-in-law. None of us need this at anytime in our lives. I WILL turn them into the authorities if they call me back. I hope every else will do the same. I told my mom not to even think about talking to them or any one else who can not identify themselves or their company. It’s a shame such evil lives in our world…find a job, do something honest for a change. We have enough crap going on without these scumsuckers bothering us or moreso our parents! BTY the girls name was CORY.

           Reply

Maureen October 25, 2010 at 4:01 PM

   I have one of these! A collection agency by the name of Thomas David and Associates contacted me repeatedly about a “delinquen”t loan form 2008. Supposedly, my electronic payment had bounced. They said they had checked with my bank and had proof I was a cheat

   The only problem is that there never was a loan and never a bounced payment. Originally they demanded the $250 I supposedly borrowed on the phone. Then they sent a letter demanding $532.

   I contacted Thomas David Collection Agency and explained that not only were they incorrect in their demand, but that I was contacting various consumer protection/ law enforcement agencies. They hung up on me and I haven’t heard from them since. I did keep all the paperwork and

   Someone should sue these jerks.

   Reply
Kami November 15, 2010 at 9:11 PM

   I received several calls beginning July 2010 for collectors. I told them each time I do not have a loan. The last call I was called a moron and he hung up. I have contacted the FTC. How do we stop these people for harassing innocent people? This is against the law and they need to be charged with a crime.

   Reply
Samuel Encarnacion November 16, 2010 at 12:27 PM

   I have been called by some of the same numbers listed. I would like to know what can be done about this. They call me and threaten me, that I will be taken to court if certain money matters were not taken care of. Once again what can I do.

   Reply
Debbie A December 2, 2010 at 2:29 PM

   I have been having similar problems but from different numbers. Started in Sept with a Brian Johnson calling me from 347-674-0997 with these same threats but the only company name he would say was the Criminal Complaint Division. After asking that something be sent to me in writting, he promptly hung up. Then on November 2 I received phone calls both at my private number and my work number, very hateful, broken english (Indian accent) and this one was named Paul White from 516-515-6564. Again there were no company names but I supposidly owed all this money, still no amount was disclosed, he just wanted my attorneys name because I had felony criminal charges against of a very serious matter. Again I asked for it in writting and he got very hateful, asked me to hang on while he got his supervisor and the phone got disconnected. I called the number right back and it went to a voice message, again with no greeting, just leave your name and number. Thinking it was all done, I received another call Nov 30 at my workplace, this time from Jack Thomas (again very heavy Indian accent) and he is supposidly with Kevin Peterson Law Agency in New York only the phone number was 516-847-4310 which is supposidly out of New York. I contacted my local police department at this time, gave them all 3 of these different phone numbers and they have tried to call them also but only to receive the “no-greeting” voice mail. So today, Dec 2 I receive a call from Kevin Peterson, Attorney at Law out of San Francisco, Ca from 530-344-4624 telling me he will have the local sheriff come to my place of employment and serve me with papers, again Kevin has very broken english and a very heavy Indian accent. The accusations they are making are awful, does anyone know what can be done. I am sick to death with this/

   Reply
mary December 3, 2010 at 10:15 AM

   these ppl never told me who they were this lady said she had to let me speak to a mamager because a claim was being filed against me but i never recall givin me the name of the company nor her name ..864-569-0719 its also unlisted in the white pages reverse look up … i was told that i could take care of this i offered to do so in jan and they said no i had to take care of this today . tried something about the statue of limitations and was trying to get 150.00 out of me today i told them they could just call someone on the spot and she said they were suing and hung up the phone on me .. thats when i knew it was a scam i have never had a real collector hang up its hard as heck to get them of the phone lmao

   Reply
mary December 3, 2010 at 10:18 AM

   also when i try to call this number back it says its not in service WOW

   Reply
Kimberley January 3, 2011 at 10:11 PM

   I actually just got a call today saying I owed a payday loan. i have never gotten a loan ever. They asked me if the above was my email I said yes. They said do you still work at ______ i said yes. They said they had a payday loan that I needed to pay they were middle eastern. They didn’t even sound professional. I told them I never got a loan. They said yes you did. They said the company was something like Usa something I couldn’t understand them. I told them to send me something in the mail and I’d look it over and file fraud on them. I told them I had something like this happen before and haven’t even had my account long enough to get a pay day loan. They asked if I had a lawyer I said no but I sure can get one. They started in and I told them “shut your mouth! shut your mouth1″ I said i;m not listening to another word out of your mouth. I didn’t get any loans. I sure as hell didn’t get any money. Then they said they’d call back tomorrow. I told them no you don’t ever call this number again I’ll take that as harrassment and call the cops. LMAO I don’t let anyone push me around and I know what I do and what I don’t do. And I did not get any loans. So they call back tomorrow I will ask them for a call back number and tell them I’ll call them in an hour or something call the cops and give them the number. I sure did report the last ones that tried to pull this kinda crap. I’ll do it again. I am a 26 yr old single mother of 2. I work 40 plus hours a week to take care of my kids and I will not have someone take from my kids cuz thats who they are taking from.

   Reply
Kimberley January 3, 2011 at 10:37 PM

   well i just heard that they got money out of my grandmother who lives off social security and disability. They took 200 from her. My grandma who is diabetic and has a bad heart who has had multi heart attacks and strokes. They called her and told her they were the police and were coming to arrest her and put her in jail!!! That breaks my heart she is almost 70 yrs old. I’d give my last penny to keep her out of jail if that was real. My God who are these damn people? There must be a special place in hell for these types. They sit right next to Hitler and Charles Manson. They could have gave her a heart attack and killed her is scred her so bad!

   Reply
Jamie January 5, 2011 at 5:16 PM

   I have been getting calls from pds or pay day solutions 877-418-8244 there have tried to run the same scam as above. They called regarding a legitimate debt, they negotiated, after telling me a process server was out looking for me, and then when it came time to pay they could provide no proof that they exist. No address, no bill, no invoice, no statement or letter. They just wanted me to give them money. When I refused and told them i would be happy to pay if they would just provide me with something in writting that this would be settled, they got all crazy on me and told me I was harrassing them and not to call them anymore, that they were just gonna sue me. I said fine and proceeded to call the police. I will call the FTC tomorrow. Thanks guys, I feel much more certain now that it was a scam.

   Reply

   Lynda January 28, 2011 at 9:41 AM

       I received the same call yesterday and today from a Eric Brown threathening to come to my place of employment and have me served. When asked for his company name, phone number he stated I havd been warded. He starts off my having a lot of personal information address, phone number really scary. How do they get all this. He has been calling my cell phone all day today with threats. I have his mesages saved on voice mail. He also informs me to contact 877-418-8244 Pay Day Solutions. His number is always unavailable. Will contact Attornet General and FTC today. How can we stop this.

       Reply

melissa January 10, 2011 at 3:40 PM

   caller states they will be taking legal action, that the sheriff will be at my house or work place to serve me with papers. Knows my address and date of birth and employer. Says I owe $1,100.00. He says I can have my lawyer can him. He speaks with a foriegn accent and sounds exactly like the guy who called 2 months ago for another company threatening the same thing. I paid the debt last time did I get SCAMED? The name the guy gave was Mr. Flood and number was 310-999-0442. Please help me!!

   Reply
Gerri January 11, 2011 at 10:21 AM

   Melissa,

   Don’t panic. You have the right under federal law to request verification of the debt and the debt collector must provide it. They also must provide you with their contact information if you request it. So next time they call, ask for their mailing address. If they won’t give it to you then they are either a. a scam or b. a rogue collector who is breaking the law.

   In either case, take notes of the conversation. In the event they sue you (which would be very rare if either of the scenarios I described are correct) you could show up and explain to the judge how they did not comply with the FDCPA. Or you could hire an attorney to sue them. If you win you would be entitled to damages and they would have to pay your attorney fees.

   If they do provide you with their contact information, then you can send them a certified letter requesting verification of the debt.

   Is there any way you can record these calls? If so, I would suggest you tell the collector next time that they call that you will be recording the call and then do so.

   As for the other instance, I don’t know whether you were scammed or not, but you can certainly do some research to find out whether the collection agency you paid was legitimate. In some states, they must be registered and/or licensed to collect consumer debts in that state.

   Reply
Gerri Detweiler January 13, 2011 at 2:47 PM

   I would encourage anyone who is reading this thread to listen to this call recorded by Steve Rhode, who was investigating these types of complaints as well. The guy at the “collector” says he is with the “Bureau of Criminal Identification” and that the case has already been forwarded to the authorities. http://bit.ly/6FKMVF

   It’s pretty comical – unless you are the person being threatened and you aren’t sure what they can do to you.

   Reply

   Jennifer March 10, 2011 at 7:33 PM

       That is hilarious. I have the exact same guy on a message in my voice mail. I finally answered the phone one day and caught him in the scam.

       Reply

andy January 14, 2011 at 2:28 PM

   hi there. I just got a call from these people on jan 13, 2011. They said I would be served with court documents about a bad check back in 2003 when I was stationed in Texas in the military. They tried scared tactics but i guess they were unaware that I have a degree in criminal justice. When I told their rep that texas penal code only allows for 2 years( 1500 or less) or 5 years (1500 or more) to pursue a bad check debt the rep was stunned. She immediately put me on hold for a long period of time and then transfered me to a “senior” rep. She too tried to scare me but I informed her of the staue of limitation in the state of Texas as Part of the Penal code. I also know you can actually sue them for harassment if they continue to bug you. Dont let them scare you! Get informed!

   Reply
Linda January 17, 2011 at 6:41 PM

   I am getting phone calls from DNR Recovery in Bloomsfield Illinois stating I owe money from an unpaid pay day loan. The number is 877-855-1624. It is so scary and I don’t know what to do. Thank you for all the info in the above posts.

   Reply
Marie January 18, 2011 at 10:27 PM

   I have had several calls from DNR Recovery at 877-855-1624. The caller is a “Miss Stiles” who does not have a foreign accent. She says she is a “Wage Garnish Specialist” and that I owe $900 due to a “pay day loan taken out and not paid.” If I don’t pay either 1) $100 a month for 9 months or 2) $500 flat fee immediately, my wages will be garnished. While I did, in fact, have a pay day loan, I paid the entire amount back on the originally scheduled date. I got so worried about my wages being garnished that I did pay $500. Their instructions were to purchase a Visa card and phone the number in to them. I did do that on Friday with the understanding that I would receive an e-mail noting payment. I did not receive an e-mail and there is no answer today at the company. Have you heard anything about this company? Thank you for all your help.

   Reply

   Anjan February 2, 2011 at 8:35 PM

       Marie…. I think you might have been scammed by a fraud company… Even if you owe some money, don’t just blindly agree with everything! People will try to extract information from you and tell you that you owe more… Well, at least, its only $500… Well.. next time be aware…and remember… don’t sign anything at your doorstep…

       Reply

Gerri January 19, 2011 at 10:57 AM

   Andy – Good for you for knowing your rights and standing up for them! And you are right, if they continue to harass you then you certainly can talk with a consumer law attorney. I would also encourage you to report them to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC.gov) for potentially mischaracterizing the status of the debt (a practice that is illegal under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.)

   Thanks for sharing your success story!

   Reply
Stephanie January 25, 2011 at 10:17 AM

   Hi- I kept getting calls from this people telling that they are lawyers trying to collect the debt for E financials. I never applied for any Loans like that. It’s true that I owe a loan but I’d been paying my

Ok this guy is a wierdo but i found if you call him he hates it, he said je is in Pakistan but his number is from west covina which is in Los Angeles County.  I made reports to the police but he has a new number, its 626-384-3258.  He hates getting called, I call and harrase him all the time.  He did the same thing saying he was with a law firm and he did have all my info, so be careful, but lets all team together and call him over and over again and insult him.

Yes, you can also call him at 818-337-3036

He gets a bit crazy when you call him LOL but what the heck.

This Dude scammed me out of $1000
used the name ronnie cooper, and said i would be arrested if i did not pay.
he had all of my personal information, and actually used the name of a company i have a line of credit through. i will be contacting the ic3 and FTC tomorrow morning.