AUSTIN (August 27, 2010)—The Better Business Bureau issued a bulletin Friday warning about phony debt collection callers who claim to be from the Kentucky-based payday loan company U.S. Cash Advance.

Janiece Charlez of Temple received a call from someone claiming to be from the company who said her husband had an outstanding loan, the BBB said.

“They called and said ‘your husband is in serious legal trouble’,” Charlez.
said.

“They had his name, social security number, our address, his birthday and the name of our bank.”

The caller told Charlez she needed to take care of the 2009 loan or that criminal charges would be flied, but she told the BBB her husband had never taken out a payday loan and said the caller could not verify the date of the loan.

She refused to pay and called the BBB for help.

The Better Business Bureau says the BBB chapter that services Northern Kentucky has received 77 similar complaints.

U.S. Cash Advance, meanwhile, says it does business only in Florence, Ky., and doesn’t do business with residents of Texas and other states.

It says it doesn’t make loans online or by phone.

“Therefore, no out of state accounts have been placed with any collection outfit by us,” the company said in a statement posted online.

“In rare situations, for our local customers whom we serve, we do find it necessary to employ a collection agency or attorney to enforce contractual agreements with our debtors,” the company said.

“For the last several years we have only placed accounts with drs Bonded Collection Systems, a collection agency or Mason, Schilling & Mason, a legitimate collection law firm – both located in the Greater Cincinnati area,” the company said.

The Better Business Bureau is asking residents who’ve received such calls to contact the organization.