Farmington New Hampshire Police Department

Some scammers will call pretending to be a legitimate debt collector.  These can be hard to spot.  Since delinquent debts like credit card debt, pay day loans, etc. can be sold to collection agencies it can be hard to keep track of whose who.  There are many variations of these fake debt collection scams that target different types of debt, but a common thread is that the scammers are very pushy often threatening legal action if you don’t pay immediately over the phone.

Here are some tips to help avoid these scams:

• Ask the caller for his name, company, street address, and telephone number. Tell the caller you won’t discuss any debt until you get a written “validation notice.” If the caller refuses, don’t pay.
• Put your request in writing. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) requires any debt collector to stop calling if you ask in writing. Of course, if the debt is real, sending such a letter does not get rid of the debt, but it should stop the contact.
• Don’t give or confirm any personal, financial, or other sensitive information.
• Contact your creditor.  If a debt is legitimate – but you think the collector isn’t — contact the company to which you owe the money.
• File a complaint with the FTC and the NH Attorney General’s office with information about suspicious callers.

Learn more about protecting yourself from fake debt collectors and about your rights if you are facing debt collection.