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Beware of Fake Payday Loan Debt Collection Scamby Gerri Detweiler on09/08/2010    For a year now, weve been getting complaints in the Credit.com forums about fake payday loan debt collectors. So I wasnt 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 didnt 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[Free Resource: Check your credit score and report card for free with Credit.com]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.Heres 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 its required under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.If the caller wont 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.Dont let one of these companies scare you into making payments if youre 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 cant be arrested simply because you cant afford to pay a debt.