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.>
Just received 3 calls from this phone # in a matter of 10 minutes, never left a voice message. I have had in the past received messages from this # saying that my name is in my local court for bank fraud and that I should contact her immediately to clear this up. I knew it was a scam, I have been getting calls for this same thing since October, 2009. I have reported this to my state senate, attorney generals office and the better business bureau. I believe that my identity has been stolen from these people, how they got my info in the first place I do not know. The IRS has contacted me regarding my 2010 tax refund saying that I have submitted 3 returns for the year 2010 which I did not, the 1st one was in Feb of 2011 and the 2nd was late April 2011. The 3rd was the one that I have filed jointly with my husband on April 13th, 2011 which is the true one. Please be very careful, they will stop at nothing to destroy your life.
The IRS has also put an identity theft alert on my filings for the next 5 years,
A lady by the name Valerie Sanders has called my job and my cell saying my SS# has came to her desk as RED FLAGGED because of a debt i owe and that if i didnt pay today that i would go to Jail. This is a african american female making this phone call from the same Number listed on all of these post.....Ive made a police report and i've also contacted the credit bureua.
I received a phone call from "Investigator Allis" saying all of the same things you all have said. SCARY as hell!! These people are ridiculous! Glad I am not alone in this.
a man named Earl Jones calls from this number and says he is with the Civil Claims Court nd has been asked to file a Summons & Complaint against me for Depository check Fraud and Theft by Deception. Left this on my work phone. Also said if i do not contact him back i will be arrested. How do i stop these people?