CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Better Business Bureau warns that scammers may call your phone, claim you owe a debt, and threaten to have you arrested.
Multiple times a day, John Repede said he gets threatening phone calls on his personal cell phone
He told Eyewitness News, "Somebody on the phone says I'm with the state attorney's office. You have an outstanding debt that you need to pay and if you don’t pay it were coming to your job. They knew where I worked my work phone number they said they were going to come and arrest me and I was going to jail if I didn't give them money right then."
Instead of paying up Repede did his homework and quickly realized it was a scam. "I looked online started doing some research phone number on caller ID says it's from California but it originates in India. Repede said when he called the number back the person who answered yelled slurs and was very vulgar.
Repede has called the North Carolina State Attorney’s office to complain but said the calls have continued for the last six or seven months.
Tom Bartholomey with the Better Business Bureau said, "Any type of tactic like that - intimidation is illegal and legitimate debt collectors are not going to do that."
Bartholomey said Repede isn't the only one being pestered by these calls. He said, "We've had a number of calls in the Charlotte area just this last week."
Bartholomey said if you start getting similar calls, "Tell them you're going to call the BBB, state attorney's office, the FBI, that's the only thing we've found that gets there attention."
The BBB also said if you do get a call like this ask the caller to provide you with specific information about the "so-called" debt, like the name of the bank or company they claim you owe. The BBB said never give out your personal information.