It is hard enough when collection agencies call your home or your workplace on a debt that you owe, but what happens when they are calling for someone else and holding you responsible? Here is what you need to know and what you need to do.
When collection agencies are looking for someone else, there are two types of collection calls that you may be faced with. The phishing call in which the caller is looking for information on that person, such as a neighbor, and the intimidation call in which the person on the phone is making threats or allowing you to feel intimidated about the debt.
First of all you have to be aware that some of these calls may be coming from legitimate collection agencies or businesses and some may just be scams. If you feel threatened or in any way intimidated, it is important to report the calls to law enforcement.
Second, you need to know your rights. You do not have to reveal any information over the phone to anyone, no matter what they say. You don’t have to knock on a neighbor’s door or give out phone numbers, etc.
Unless you are married to the person that owes the debt, you are not responsible for any of it. In some states, a spouse may be liable for half or more of a legal debt obtained by their spouse. Debt owed by a sibling or an adult child is not your legal responsibility, but of course contact a lawyer if you have need.
The sad part is that sometimes the person who has a legitimate debt is trying to avoid that debt and is using you to hide from the collectors. We are in a current situation where a relative has given our home number and address as his primary residence (he lives out of state), and we often get collection calls.
I stay pleasant on the phone, explaining to the caller that the person they are looking for doesn’t live at our home and can not be reached at our number, no matter what they filled out on a form. I take the callers name number and business name, and then kindly request that they delete our phone number from their records.
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