I think I have been part of a scam.  I have been getting calls at my job from someone saying I am part of a legal investingation.  I finally talk with this foreign man and he told me that I was part of a legal investigation and they were going to send someone to my place of residence or employment to arrest me because I had not payed back a payday loan.  They knew my social security number and everthing.  They asked me if I wanted to settle it out of court and I told them yes.  So they told me that I would have to pay $500 down and I told them I didn't have $500, but I could pay $250.oo.  He said okay and told me to call him back when I got a money gram.  We kept talking back and forward, but I finally got the money gram and set them the $250.  He called me again but with another name on 2/21.  He told me I would have to have $300 in by the 29th of February or they would send my the $250 back and proceed with the court fees and I would be arrested.  I asked him to send me something saying I had payed the $250 and he told me that he could only send that after the balance of $1100.00 had been paid.  I told him that I felt like this was a scam and he told me that I was on recorded lines and it was not a scam.  We argued back and forth for a while and he told me to call him on the 29th and let him know if I had the money.  I told him that I was willing to pay $100 a month until I got it paid.  He first told me that the bank only would accept $500 then he said the bank would only accept $300.  I then knew something was wrong.  Whe I looked them up on the internet "United Federal Bank", the first thing to come up was stories about how they scammed people.  Please let me know what I need to do in this matter


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We advised the victim to immediately contact the police and her state attorney general's office. If this happens to you,

Contact your state attorney general - see this page for the contact information.
Report them to the FBI here.
File a complaint online with the Federal Trade Commission
See these websites for more information about how to protect yourself from debt collection scammers:
National Association of Consumer Advocates
My Fair Debt
Consumer Credit Advocate Bud Hibbs
Clark Howard.com - Clark has additional resources; he says: "Collection agencies should never threaten or torment you; it's against the law. I provide a "Drop Dead" letter below that you should send if a collector is harrassing you. Learn more about your rights here.
Drop Dead Letter to collectors
Clark's Sample letters
Legal self-help sites
Get resources & contacts
Consumer Counsel Group
Lawyers: Warren & Vullings, LLP