It's a scam. They have been calling off and on for about a year. Different phone numbers, different people who call, but it's always the same message. I block the numbers once I get a new one.
The one today said it was an attorney but didn't give me his name. They make it sound official so they scare you into paying. But don't give any information or verify any information over the phone. I believe if it is legitimate they would send me something to my home address. I've lived at the same address for 20 years so it shouldn't be hard to contact me if they are legit.
It would be really helpful for you to file a police report re. the identity theft. That way, it's on record if someone does try to take out loans in your name, and you can also get and keep a copy of the report. If you can afford it, paying for monthly ID theft monitoring would be a good idea. Make sure your bank or financial institution puts fraud alerts on your accounts, and let at least one of the three credit bureaus Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) know, so they can also put alerts on your files.
As an FYI, if your callers were legitimate, they would also mail a debt validation letter to you showing you owe a debt and they can collect said debt. In fact, they only have five days from the date of their first call to do so.
I got a message on my cell's voicemail this morning stating that charges were being filed against me for fraudulent activity associated with my social security number! I returned the call, the guy on the phone wanted me to set up payment arrangement or pay right now. But he sure didn't want me to contact the company he claimed I owed, which that account was paid in full years ago. Claims that he represents Goldman and Associates here in Houston, but he couldn't give me an address.The guy on the phone started threatening me and ends with saying good luck in court lol.
I got the same message a few minutes ago!! I believe this is the second time they called, but this is the first time I got a message from them... what should I do?
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, is warning consumers to be on the alert for scam artists posing as debt collectors. It may be hard to tell the difference between a legitimate debt collector and a fake one. Sometimes a fake collector may even have some of your personal information, like a bank account number. A caller may be a fake debt collector if he:
•is seeking payment on a debt for a loan you do not recognize;
•refuses to give you a mailing address or phone number;
•asks you for personal financial or sensitive information; or
•exerts high pressure to try to scare you into paying, such as threatening to have you arrested or to report you to a law enforcement agency.
If you think that a caller may be a fake debt collector:
•Ask the caller for his name, company, street address, and telephone number. Tell the caller that you refuse to discuss any debt until you get a written "validation notice." The notice must include the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor you owe, and your rights under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
If a caller refuses to give you all of this information, do not pay! Paying a fake debt collector will not always make them go away. They may make up another debt to try to get more money from you.•Stop speaking with the caller. If you have the caller's address, send a letter demanding that the caller stop contacting you, and keep a copy for your files. By law, real debt collectors must stop calling you if you ask them to in writing.
•Do not give the caller personal financial or other sensitive information. Never give out or confirm personal financial or other sensitive information like your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number unless you know whom you're dealing with. Scam artists, like fake debt collectors, can use your information to commit identity theft – charging your existing credit cards, opening new credit card, checking, or savings accounts, writing fraudulent checks, or taking out loans in your name.
•Contact your creditor. If the debt is legitimate – but you think the collector may not be – contact your creditor about the calls. Share the information you have about the suspicious calls and find out who, if anyone, the creditor has authorized to collect the debt.
•Report the call. Contact the FTC and your state Attorney General's office with information about suspicious callers. Many states have their own debt collection laws in addition to the federal FDCPA. Your Attorney General's office can help you determine your rights under your state's law.