Debt collector doing skip tracing to try and locate that person. They tend to call everyone in the area local to the last known location of a debtor hoping to reach someone who knows them.
Recorded message, woman with slightly British accent. Wanted someone I never heard of with same (very common) last name as me. "This is not a solicitation. Press 1 if you are ___, otherwise press 2". I pressed 2. "Press 1 if you need time to bring ___ to the phone..." I didn't wait but pressed 2 at that point. "We're sorry for the inconvenience."
Who knows what that was about, or why they thought they could reach ___ at my number. Surely they're not calling everyone with that last name in the area?
Debt collector doing skip tracing to try and locate that person. They tend to call everyone in the area local to the last known location of a debtor hoping to reach someone who knows them.
Received a call from this number today. I only picked up because it is from an area code in which I have family and friends. A lady insisted that I have a debt of over $500 for a Sprint PCS account that was opened in 2000. I haven't had a Sprint phone since the 90s and my bill was always up to date and was paid in full when I switched companies in 1999! When I asked for something in writing to verify this "debt" she told me that she can only send me something if I agree to make payments. I refuse to make payments on an account that I don't owe!
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.