How to Protect Yourself From Fake Debt Scammers

June 8, 2012 — -- "You will be behind the bars for six months and once you go behind the bars, you will lose your job. Once you are behind the bars, you won't get a single drop of water."

That's the message received by just one of hundreds of thousands of cash-strapped Americans who authorities say have become the targets of a "phantom" debt collection scheme in which victims are bullied and threatened into paying conmen money they do not owe, as reported in an ABC News "Nightline" investigation.

"They call up and they pretend to be policemen... sometimes they've been from the FBI or the Department of Justice," said Jon Leibowitz, chairman of the Federal Trade Commission. "So it is just a hardcore kind of scam and we're beginning to see more of it."

WATCH FULL REPORT: Phantom Debt Collectors From India Harass Americans, Demand Money

But there are steps consumers can take to make sure their money is safe the next time the phone rings. Check out the tips below and head to the Federal Trade Commission website for more.

Spotting a Potential Conman

Just because the caller says he's an authority figure, that doesn't mean he is. According to the FTC, there are several ways to tell if someone may be trying to pull one over on unsuspecting callers. Keep a lookout for the following red flags:

If You Think You're the Target of a Scam...

"The thing we wanted to do first and foremost was we wanted to shut this operation down," Leibowitz said.

CLICK HERE to visit the FTC's website.