Advance America Payday Loan SCAM Portland Maine

 My father recieved a call from these people that stated if my husband did not pay them immediately than they would have him arrested at his place of employment. I called them and they refused to send us any documentation as proof that he owed any money they just kept threatening different things. They said it was Advance America and that he owed $644.75. Apparently they don't know our laws

Recognize Fraudulent Loan Offers

You should be suspicious that a loan offer is fraudulent if:

• The individual claims that you have been pre-approved for a loan and then requires you to purchase a prepaid debit card or wire money as a “processing fee” or “good faith deposit”. Legitimate lenders do not offer approvals prior to application and do not require good faith deposits.
• The individual requests that you send money up front via a wire transfer or money card such as Green Dot cards. With legitimate loan offers, you should not have to give money in order to get money.
• The individual requests to get your personal or financial information. You should always be cautious when volunteering any personal or financial information over the phone or internet. Never provide payment information that you did not initiate. If you are uncomfortable with a phone call that was not initiated by you, hang up or ask for the purpose of the call. Then contact the company using legitimate sources such as contact phone numbers found on the company’s website.

Recognize Fraudulent Collection

You should be suspicious that a collection is fraudulent if:

• The individual threatens violence, intimidation, or uses foul language. The Federal Debt Collection Practices Act specifically prohibits debt collectors from being abusive, unfair, or deceptive in trying to collect debt.
• The individual threatens to garnish your wages.
• The individual is unable or unwilling to provide loan agreement information or payment history when you ask for it. Loan providers are required to provide all loan agreement information or payment history when you ask for it.

Reporting Fraudulent Action

• If you suspect you’re being contacted by a financial scammer claiming to represent Advance America contact the Federal Trade Commission and file a complaint.
• Report it to local law enforcement.
• Contact Advance America at 1-888-310-4238.

Protecting Yourself From Scammers

When it comes to keeping your personal and financial information safe, it’s important to be proactive. Follow these tips to help protect yourself from fraud and identity theft.

• Never give personal information such as your Social Security Number or bank account information online or over the phone without verifying that you are working with a legitimate lender or bill collector. To verify, call the establishment back using a known number, such as the number listed on your statement or on the back of your credit/debit card.
• Always be suspicious of any email with urgent requests for personal financial information. If an email demands immediate action or makes upsetting or exciting false statements, it’s likely a scam.
• Verify company licenses when applying for a loan online. Legitimate lenders will display state licenses on their websites to verify that they are full-service, licensed lenders complying with state and federal laws.
• Never wire money or provide prepaid debit card information to a lender claiming you have been pre-approved for a loan and must make an initial payment as a “show of good faith”.
• Keep anti-virus, anti-malware, and spam email protection software up to date on all your computing devices.
• Maintain a record of all outstanding debt, and include lender contact information.
• Regularly check your bank, credit and debit card statements to ensure there are no unauthorized transactions.
• If someone approaches you claiming you owe them debt, demand they provide written proof of the debt as the law requires.
• If you suspect you are being scammed, report it to the local law enforcement and to the lender that the scammer claims to represent. Advance America customers can call 1-888-310-4238.

For more information, please visit The Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Security of Your Information with Advance America

With Advance America, you can be sure that all the information you submit is sent through a secure server, and we keep your information in a secure database. One way for you to verify that our website is secure is to look for the security icon in the footer of our site that tells you that your information is secure and encrypted. The green padlock in the URL address bar also signifies that your information on this website is encrypted. For more details, see our Privacy Policy.