# "Location Specialist Jackson" -- This phone call is a scam, right? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 19, 2023, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specialist-jackson-this-phone-call-is-a-scam-right/978457 "2023-01-19T15:37:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2023, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specialist-jackson-this-phone-call-is-a-scam-right/978457/1 "2023-01-19T15:37:54Z")
For the past three days I’ve gotten voice mails on my cell phone, obviously a recording, from a guy saying that he is “Location specialist Jackson” trying to contact me about a pending claim which will become a matter of public record, leaving a phone number to call, and saying that he will come to my home and job with papers for me to sign if he doesn’t hear from me. This is obviously some kind of scam, isn’t it? I have not called the number, and don’t intend to. The only reason I paid it any attention at all is that it mentioned a “pending claim,” and I have recently filed a car insurance claim relating to a minor accident I had, so at first I thought the call might be about that. The other curious thing is that Location Specialist Jackson did use my name. Or tried to. It wasn’t actually my name, but my father’s name. My father, by the way, died in 1983. This is someone trying to pull something, isn’t it, using my father’s name (which they seem to think is my name), and something nefarious will happen if I were to call the phone number they left? I post this message largely as a warning to other folks who might be receiving such calls. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2023, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specialist-jackson-this-phone-call-is-a-scam-right/978457/2 "2023-01-19T15:42:37Z")
I would continue to ignore it. It doesn’t sound legit to me. If someone unknown shows up at your house or work with papers you need to sign I would be surprised. If there are papers, I’m sure it’s a form asking for all of your personal/banking information that can then be used to go after your bank account or house. You can try reporting it to someone, but I’m not sure anyone would take it seriously. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2023, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specialist-jackson-this-phone-call-is-a-scam-right/978457/3 "2023-01-19T15:42:52Z")
Have you tried searching the telephone number? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2023, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specialist-jackson-this-phone-call-is-a-scam-right/978457/4 "2023-01-19T15:45:32Z")
Suggest you check with the insurance company with which you filed the claim. There seems to be a well-known[“Location Services” scam](https://www.bbb.org/us/ga/atlanta/profile/collections-agencies/location-services-0443-27659066/complaints). ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2023, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specialist-jackson-this-phone-call-is-a-scam-right/978457/5 "2023-01-19T15:45:35Z")
If this is a _bona fide_ person trying to do their job, why would they leave a cryptic message that no ordinary person could make sense of? ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2023, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specialist-jackson-this-phone-call-is-a-scam-right/978457/6 "2023-01-19T15:52:36Z")
I did search the phone number just now (being an old person, I never think to do such things.🙂 ). No hits for that number specifically, but a lot of THIS IS A SCAM warnings for very similar numbers. It’s definitely not related to my car insurance claim; their number is already in my contact list, plus I have an app which alerts me every time there’s some activity regarding the claim. I shall put this down to a scammer, and block the number. I will also be very surprised if anyone shows up. Not to mention, I am not my father, so if there are, by some miracle, any actual legal papers involved, I can genuinely claim that I am not the person they’re looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2023, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specialist-jackson-this-phone-call-is-a-scam-right/978457/7 "2023-01-19T15:53:00Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > The only reason I paid it any attention at all is that it mentioned a “pending claim,” and I have recently filed a car insurance claim relating to a minor accident I had, so at first I thought the call might be about that. They are just playing the odds because many people do have pending claims. If you call up enough people telling them the same thing eventually you’re going to run across someone who has a claim. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2023, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specialist-jackson-this-phone-call-is-a-scam-right/978457/8 "2023-01-19T16:03:06Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > There seems to be a well-known[“Location Services” scam](https://www.bbb.org/us/ga/atlanta/profile/collections-agencies/location-services-0443-27659066/complaints) I had come across that as well. Interestingly, Location Specialist Jackson never mentioned a “lawsuit” or anything along those lines. Just “a claim that will become public record.” Also, if he had to come to my job to get me to sign, my manager or supervisor would also need to “witness the signature.” Nice way to amp up the veiled threat–your boss will find out that you’re in legal trouble! ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2023, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specialist-jackson-this-phone-call-is-a-scam-right/978457/9 "2023-01-19T16:08:10Z")
I guess that’s the thinking behind the “location” part of it - to make it sound like they are working for a debt collection agency that specializes in _finding_ where people live and work. What scumbags. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2023, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specialist-jackson-this-phone-call-is-a-scam-right/978457/10 "2023-01-19T16:11:28Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > If this is a _bona fide_ person trying to do their job, why would they leave a cryptic message that no ordinary person could make sense of? Off-hand, if it is a collections call they are limited in what they can say without confirming someone else does not have access to the messages on that phone number. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2023, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specialist-jackson-this-phone-call-is-a-scam-right/978457/11 "2023-01-19T16:13:50Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > If this is a _bona fide_ person trying to do their job, why would they leave a cryptic message that no ordinary person could make sense of? I always leave cryptic messages for people from whom I need an imminent response, and also mangle their name as a way of keeping people off balance. I find that this limits pointless small talk and unwanted familiarity, and also leaves people unsure about whether they have fully satisfied my request and are therefore prone to working harder to demonstrate that they are worthy of my attention. As for the question of the o.p., I don’t know what a ‘location specialist’ is (it sounds like a euphemism for a corporal who can’t shoot or tie his boots but has an unnerving ability to know the exact distance to the mess tent and latrine from any point in camp) but in my experience _process servers_—who are generally the only people tracking you down at home or work to deliver legal papers—do not call you up and give notice of their intent to serve. I suspect if you call back on the phone number you are soon going to find your name disseminated as a ‘lead’ for a variety of special investment opportunities by a succession of vice presidents of real estate development companies and head investment managers for an innovative bespoke portfolios for asset backed securities. See [this documentary](https://youtu.be/elrnAl6ygeM&t=5s) as an example. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2023, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specialist-jackson-this-phone-call-is-a-scam-right/978457/12 "2023-01-19T16:21:20Z")
Is MrAtoz’s insurance claim already a matter of public record somehow? Like when you get a new car loan or a mortgage and the mail/email spam starts flooding in. I can see if this info is somehow public, or knowable outside of the parties involved, scammers getting the info and immediately trying to capitalize on the situation. ---
**Author:** ![ggm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba9def/32.png) [@ggm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ggm)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specialist-jackson-this-phone-call-is-a-scam-right/978457/13 "2023-02-17T17:10:56Z")
Hey Everyone! Yesterday and today - this is Feb 17th 2023 - I got a voice mail from “Location Specialist Jackson,” and I did a google search about that to see if it’s a scam, and this thread came up. Really grateful for it! I was pretty sure it was a scam, but this certainly helped to solidify. One tip off, was that the phone number showed up as 111111111111. Anyway, thanks for being a help. I wanted to respond here because it’s obviously coming around again. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specialist-jackson-this-phone-call-is-a-scam-right/978457/14 "2023-02-17T17:22:03Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > “Location specialist Jackson” I wonder if he is related to [Action Jackson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_Jackson_(1988_film))? ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specialist-jackson-this-phone-call-is-a-scam-right/978457/15 "2023-02-17T17:27:01Z")
I should probably add this one to the omnibus thread (that may or may not exist), but … these people recently came after my wife: > **[Individuals Spoofing Law Enforcement Phone Numbers to Scam Victims | Federal...](https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/atlanta/news/press-releases/individuals-spoofing-law-enforcement-phone-numbers-to-scam-victims)** > > The FBI Atlanta Field Office is warning the public about a phone scam where individuals are posing as local law enforcement officials. The scammers referenced in the article, NOT the FBI 😉 And they did spoof the local Police non-emergency phone number. Luckily, a tiny amount of my cynicism and paranoia has crept into my wife’s DNA. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specialist-jackson-this-phone-call-is-a-scam-right/978457/16 "2023-02-17T17:46:09Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > I did search the phone number just now (being an old person, I never think to do such things.🙂 ). No hits for that number specifically, but a lot of THIS IS A SCAM warnings for very similar numbers. The problem with searching numbers these days is, scammers spoofing numbers has become incredibly common. I’m convinced that at some point, every phone number in use will be reported as a scam number, because the scammers will have run through them all. I had a period of about a month last summer where I kept getting calls from real people asking me why I’d called them, because some scammer was using my number as their spoofing number. These calls came from all across Canada. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specialist-jackson-this-phone-call-is-a-scam-right/978457/17 "2023-02-17T18:15:35Z")
Glad that this thread was of some help! I haven’t heard from Location Specialist Jackson in awhile now, ever since the call where he threatened to (but did not) come to my home and workplace with papers for me to sign. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2023, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specialist-jackson-this-phone-call-is-a-scam-right/978457/18 "2023-02-18T02:04:18Z")
I’ve found that one sure way to get these spammers to hang up on me is to ask them what company/agency they work for. They’ve been carefully instructed not to give the name of an actual law enforcement agency, and if they say something like “I’m an insurance investigator” I simply ask them which insurance company. For some reason they don’t seem to be prepared for any pushback from the spamee. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2023, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specialist-jackson-this-phone-call-is-a-scam-right/978457/19 "2023-02-18T02:13:55Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > For some reason they don’t seem to be prepared for any pushback from the spamee. - They are prepared. _Any_ pushback ( or seeming pushback) means they don’t have a 100% potential victim. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2023, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specialist-jackson-this-phone-call-is-a-scam-right/978457/20 "2023-02-18T02:31:09Z")
It also means they have number that connects to an actual person, a number that can be listed and sold to other scammers…and no matter how good you think you are at putting them off, they know that they can still con enough people to make it worth their while. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-specialist-jackson-this-phone-call-is-a-scam-right/978457.md?page=2)