The Internet Crime Complaint Center is reporting a large number of recent complaints about scammers calling victims posing as representatives of the FBI, the “Federal Legislative Department, a law firm or some other official sounding entity and attempting to collect purported overdue loans on behalf of companies such as United Cash Advance, U.S. Cash Advance, U.S. Cash Net or other check cashing services that can be found on the Internet.

In some of the calls the scammers threaten arrest or civil lawsuits.  In all of the calls, high pressure tactics are used and payment is demanded by credit or debit cards or prepaid credit cards.  Many of the calls have been made to the victims on their cell phones, at their places of work or at their home.

Some of the victims have reported that the scammers have much information about them, including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, bank account numbers and place of employment.  The fact that this information is known by the scammers is an indication that hacking or identity theft has already occurred.  Some of the victims had completed online applications for loans or credit on either sites that were either phony or their information had been hacked either on their own computer or the computer of the legitimate loan source.

TIPS

If you receive such a call, hang up and promptly notify your bank, put a credit freeze on your credit report and report the call to law enforcement.