Are You Dealing With Fake Debt Collectors?
November 3, 2008
Scammers are getting more savvy, finding new ways to steal your identity and compromise your credit. In a difficult economy, more people face mounting debts. Scammers, aware of this fact, now call posing as debt collectors.
If you owe several creditors, you might not unsure if the caller is one of them. These unscrupulous people try to get information about your identity before you can think - and the result is identity theft.
From jail threats to invoking the wrath of God, fake debt collectors will stop at nothing. Legitimate debt collection does not involve these tactics. ABC News reported about posers who call consumers to collect debts that don’t exist.
Norman Googel, West Virginia Assistant Attorney General, stated, “The way they’ve hidden themselves is pretty slick.” So how can you tell if a debt collector is a poser or the real deal? Here are a few tips:
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According to Googel, scammers are operating under various names including U.S. National Bank, United Legal Processing and Federal Investigation Bureau. An official name doesn’t mean the call is legitimate.
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Many of these scammers appear to be from foreign countries. They are unfamiliar with American names and use celebrity names such as Denzel Washington and Steve Martin.
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Debt collectors cannot threaten or harass you in any way. Mentioning God or threatening jail is inappropriate. God is never be part of a general business conversation. No debtor’s prison exists in the United States.
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Googel found groups target people who took out payday loans online in the past. If you took a payday loan, be aware scammers may have access to your Social Security number and other personal information.
There are also ways to protect yourself. Review your credit report frequently to find inaccuracies. Be aware of your current creditors and how much you owe. Ask creditors for identification before you provide any information over the telephone.
When collectors use misleading statements and fail to provide identification, they are breaking the law. Never pay money to a possible thief. Keep cool when you hear from collectors to avoid this collection abuse.
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[...] Fake debt scammers rely on the fear and lack of knowledge about debt collection laws within the population. They also figure that a certain percentage of their calls will be received by individuals who may be carrying debt on credit cards anyway and may be susceptible to intimidation. You can read more about fake debt and collection abuses at my friend Jay Fleischman’s New York Consumer Litigation blog in a post entitled “Are You Dealing With Fake Debt Collectors?” [...]
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