Submitted by New Jersey Bankruptcy Attorney, Lee Perlman.
Originally published here by lifehacker.com
It’s no secret that debt collectors will resort to some shady tactics to get money out of you, but what’s worse is when someone posing as a debt collector tries to get you to cough up cash you may not owe. The Simple Dollar has three simple questions that will stop a fake collector in their tracks.
We’ve discussed that it’s important to address debt collectors head on if you want them to go away, but when you do pick up the phone, the first thing to do is make sure the person you’re talking to is actually authorized to handle the debt in question.
These questions will make sure they are. The Simple Dollar suggests you ask:
- What is the name, address, and phone number of the company you’re calling from?
- What is the name and address of the debtor you’re trying to reach?
- ‘What are the last four digits of the debtor’s Social Security number?
These should all be questions that a real debt collector, calling to resolve an actual debt, shouldn’t have difficulty answering, and should be able to freely give, especially if they think they’re talking to the debtor in question. Considering how many false debt collection scams and schemes have made headlines lately, these questions can mean the difference between resolving a real debt you may not have known you had or falling for a scam.
If the company does give you their information and you still think the debt is fake (or worse, it’s already been resolved but someone’s trying to squeeze money out of you), you can send them a letter to request more data or dispute the debt. That’ll get them off your back too. Hit the link below for more tips.
Expose a Fake Debt Collector by Asking These Three Questions | The Simple Dollar
Photo by Roshan_NG (Shutterstock).