Debt Collection / Phishing Scam: “Mr. Ricky Watson” at phone number 1-407-506-0427 wants you to send him money
April 13, 2009
I ran across a new debt collection / phishing scam today.
The scammer, who identifies himself as “Mr. Ricky Watson,” contacts targets by phone and tells them they owe him money. He claims to be calling from phone number 1-407-506-0424 or 1-407-506-0427.
He claims he will “send an officer to arrest you” if you do not fax your banking information to him at fax number 1-407-650-3106.
We called “Mr. Ricky Watson” several times to try to figure out whether he is a legitimate debt collector. Mr. Ricky Watson would not identify the company he works for or the origin of the debt he is trying to collect. At various times, he said he worked for “the government agency,” or “a government legal department” or “a legal firm.”
When I asked which agency or firm he worked for, he demanded to know my name. When I gave him my name, he hung up on me.
When I attempted to call back, I got an outgoing message saying “card balance too low.”
Legitimate debt collectors are willing to tell you the origin of the debts they are trying to collect. By law, they must also tell you what company they work for.
It is illegal for them to say they work for a government agency (unless they do work for such an agency), and it is illegal for them to tell you they will have you arrested if you refuse to pay.
Do not send Mr. Ricky Watson your banking information, and do not give him any information over the phone.
If Mr. Watson is a legitimate debt collector, he should send you a written notice of the debt you owe. By law, this notice should be sent within 5 days of the first phone call.
If you receive a notice explaining the origin of the debt, then you can further evaluate whether the debt is legitimate. But, based on our office’s conversations with Mr. Watson, he does not appear to be a legitimate debt collector.
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