India call centres 'used in US debt collection fraud'

[alp227]

Indian call centres were used to swindle millions of dollars out of Americans, say US federal officials.

Callers from the Indian centres posed as "phantom debt" collectors who targeted people who had applied for small online loans.

The Federal Trade Commission said two-California based firms and their owner had made $5m (£3.2m) from the fraud.

FTC officials said this was the first case of its kind as more than 10,000 people across the country were cheated.

full: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17126565

[Renew Deal]

1. I'm pretty sure I've received calls from these people

I was getting strange phone calls from an Oklahoma based number. I never answered them and they never left a message. I checked the number online and there were several reports that it was an "indian caller calling to collect on a payday loan." Pretty much every single person said it was a scam which made sense considering I never used this phone for calls and never took a payday loan. I'm glad that they got busted. I'm sure some people were intimidated into paying.

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-918-442-9158

[OhioChick]

2. Niiiice n/t

[Skittles]

3. oh GAWD

I'm surprised anyone could stand to listen to them long enough to GET swindled

[sarcasmo]

4. One more reason why caller ID is one of the best inventions ever.

[ManiacJoe]

5. Unfortunately callerID is easily and frequently spoofed.

[sarcasmo]

8. If I don't know the # I don't anser the phone.

How can that be spoofed?

[JI7]

9. people change their number or call from a different phone

if they lost theirs ? other situations ?

[dipsydoodle]

6. Simplest just to tell them

they sent you egg fried rice by mistake last time and then immediately put the phone down.

[christx30]

7. I've gotten calls

from some people like that. Said I needed to pay $800 by 5pm, or they would serve me with papers and I would have to appear in court and pay over $5000. While I was on the phone with them I looked up their number and their business name. I told them to go to hell, and I told them I was going to call the FTC. They hung up on me.