**Harris & Harris Debt Collection Impersonation Scam Campaign**
A sophisticated debt collection impersonation scam has been identified targeting consumers through coordinated text message campaigns using the phone number 855-319-7310 and the fraudulent domain hhcollect.co. These two entities have been reported together with a confidence level of 0.77, indicating a strong operational connection between the phone line and website infrastructure. The scammers are specifically impersonating Harris & Harris, a legitimate debt collection agency, by using similar branding and messaging to deceive victims into believing they owe money to government entities.
Community reports reveal the campaign's tactics involve sending targeted text messages claiming recipients owe debts to "The Government of Washington DC" with balances around $240. The fraudulent messages direct victims to pay through the suspicious domain hhcollect.co or call the associated phone number 855-319-7310. One reported message read: "Marina, Harris&Harris-collects for The Government of Washington DC. Balance: $240 To Pay: https://hhcollect.co/T4nDqVx or call 855-319-7310 Reply STOP to stop." The scammers also send follow-up messages designed to appear legitimate, mimicking standard debt collector disclosure language about account messages and data rates.
The campaign demonstrates particular sophistication in its impersonation tactics, as community reports confirm that Harris & Harris is indeed a real debt collection company, but the fraudulent operation uses different contact information and websites than the legitimate business. This creates confusion for consumers who may verify the company name but fail to confirm the specific contact details. While formal FTC complaint data for phone number 855-319-7310 currently shows zero reports, community reporting indicates active targeting of consumers with personalized messages using specific names and dollar amounts.
**Consumer Protection Advice**
To protect yourself from this and similar debt collection scams, never click links in unexpected text messages claiming you owe money, and do not call phone numbers provided in unsolicited debt collection texts. Legitimate debt collectors are required to provide written validation notices and cannot demand immediate payment through suspicious websites. If you receive such messages, verify any claimed debt directly by contacting the supposed creditor using official contact information found independently, not through the message. You can check if a phone number has been reported as fraudulent by searching consumer protection websites and verify domain safety through online scam databases. If contacted by these scammers, hang up immediately, do not provide personal information, and report the incident to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov or to the FCC for unwanted calls and texts.
This campaign represents a moderate threat level due to its convincing impersonation of a legitimate business and use of official-sounding government debt claims. Consumers should remain vigilant for text messages from 855-319-7310 and avoid accessing hhcollect.co under any circumstances. The coordinated use of phone and web infrastructure suggests an organized operation that may expand its targeting. Immediate steps include reporting any contact from these entities to federal authorities and sharing warnings within affected communities to prevent further victimization.