I'M getting debt collection calls disguised as job offers for my Housemate...

[NecessaryCatharsis]

Anyway, as to the debt collectors, they irritate me. I go through rounds with them, telling them that I'm not the person they're looking for and that I've had this phone number for however many months, and to please stop calling. Most of the time they're polite, but one woman the other day really took the cake. She attempted to badger me, telling me that she "knew" I was really the old owner and that I should stop lying to her.

I repeatedly talked to one lady after my husband died who kept insisting that she would call back and get him, and that he would slip up and answer the phone one day. One day she insisted that she 'knew' he wasn't really dead. My only answer 'So cremating his was probably a mistake then'. She stopped calling.

[MadMike]

They aren't. They also aren't allowed to tell you the reason for the call, so that's why they're lying. I've been through all this junk before.

That's interesting. I've been getting robocalls almost every day since last June or so, from a company calling themselves "NCO Financial Systems." They clearly state that they are a debt collection company, and that any information obtained will be used to collect said debt. They give a number to call back, and a code to give them when you do. They don't ask for anyone by name, and there's no way to connect to a live person, so it's not so easy to get them to stop calling.

I Googled this company, and apparently their legitimacy is questionable at best, and they've been sued several times for violating the law. And apparently if you do call them back, they won't even talk to you until you give them your SS number, which is simply not going to happen. I think one of my coworkers had a run-in with this company, because I heard him loudly exclaim, "I am NOT giving you my SS number!"

I don't think they're actually calling for me. I haven't received anything in the mail about any debts, and the phone is in my name and I'm in the book, so if they were actually trying to reach me, they could find my address quite easily. For all I know, they could be trying to get a hold of my ex, because she was never good at repaying debts, and I still have the same phone number as I did when she was still living with me.

I've invested in a product called Phone Tray to deal with this. It still rings once, before the Caller ID info can display, and the program can play the "not in service" message and hang up on the caller, but at least they're not clogging up my answering machine anymore. After a few weeks, they started using a different number, which I also blocked. Then I guess they bought a block of numbers, because they were calling from several numbers with the same area code and prefix. After the third day or so, I found out you can also block wildcarded numbers.

[LillFilly]

I never signed anything for Housemate, so I'm not on the hook as a co-signer for anything. I suppose if the company calls again I will tell them that I've relayed their previous messages and to stop calling me.

[Ironclad Alibi]

I once had a debt collector call on my business line asking for the neighbor's daughter, who is in her mid-30s and doesn't live there anymore. I told them no one by that name lived here. I have no idea how they ever linked that phone number to her. I don't think she even knew of the existence of that phone line, much less the number, so she wouldn't have given it to them.

[Barracuda]

Ok, I am currently working as a debt collector myself (thankfully, for mortgages, not something unimportant, so I don't get yelled at NEARLY as much as I would otherwise. In fact, I get yelled at less than I did in customer service.) That said, I can inform you of a few things. 1. Misleading someone about the reason for your call is a direct violation of FDCPA.
2. You can sue the company under FDCPA, and in fact, the actual collector who called you is also personally liable and can in fact be sued, personally, for using these tactics. You are REQUIRED to correctly identify yourself once you have determined you are in fact speaking to the right person and if it is not the right person, you state that it is a personal business matter. You are NOT allowed to mislead about the reason for the call.
3. Challenge the debt if you don't believe you owe it. That is, order them to send you written proof of the debt and stop calling you until they do. This will actually stop a good many collection attempts dead in their tracks, permanently, as paperwork can get lost, assuming there ever was any.
4. Never make a payment or a statement assuming responsibility for the debt without getting proof first. Companies can use this to claim you acknowledged the debt and lost the right to challenge it later.
5. Threats of any kind are illegal. I cannot even tell someone truthfully they are going to be foreclosed upon without wording it very carefully so it doesn't sound like a threat to induce them to pay. Again, that is grounds for suing under FDCPA.

[EricKei]

I don't think I've spoken with more than a tiny handful of debt collectors who gave me real names, even after identifying myself. It's always "Bob Smith" or "Susan Jones" -- if I call them back and ask for someone by that name, I'm immediately told that "Nobody here goes by that name"

[Sapphire Silk]

Probably not the case in your situation, but if a debt collector calls for someone who you know has died, would it be appropriate to give them as updated contact information "Their new address is (street address of cemetery), unit number (grave identification number). To the best of my knowledge, they don't have a phone"?

I love this. I'll have to remember it, though it won't apply to me (Dad has been dead since 2008, and Mom's bills are covered by Brother).

However it does bring up a good point. When someone dies, debt collectors try to hound the heirs.

If there is any money in the estate, it must be used to pay bills before it is distributed to heirs. State rules determining who gets first cut may vary. If the deceased had a mortgage or car payment, that property should be sold for whatever the heirs can get for it.

However, if there are still bills outstanding (including from a mortgage or car payment) when the estate is exhausted, the heirs are NOT obligated to make up the difference out of their own pockets unless they co-signed the loan. Children are not responsible for their parents debts and vice versa.

If you co-signed the loan of a person that died, and their estate can't cover it, then you have to pay the rest. Which can be a problem for some people. Parents are paying off private student loans for their kids who unexpectedly died and can't discharge the debt in bankruptcy (student loan debt almost never is).

I've had my current phone number since February. I'm still getting calls for the old owner of the number. Actually, I'm fairly certain the old owner is somewhat elderly and doesn't have a phone, so when she's asked, she just gives her old number. <snip>. The woman at the other end of the phone call was appropriately apologetic, and actually kind of freaked out, since that went into HIPPA violation territory.

Yeah, I imagine she did. I've had this happen to me, only it was a dead beat. I got her collections calls for three years. She kept giving out the number as her home number, so I'm sure that's why I could never get the calls to stop.

Most of the time they're polite, but one woman the other day really took the cake. She attempted to badger me, telling me that she "knew" I was really the old owner and that I should stop lying to her.

I don't think I've ever had that happen, though I'm not surprised.

I repeatedly talked to one lady after my husband died who kept insisting that she would call back and get him, and that he would slip up and answer the phone one day. One day she insisted that she 'knew' he wasn't really dead. My only answer 'So cremating his was probably a mistake then'. She stopped calling.

Love it!

That's interesting. I've been getting robocalls almost every day since last June or so, from a company calling themselves "NCO Financial Systems." They clearly state that they are a debt collection company, and that any information obtained will be used to collect said debt. They give a number to call back, and a code to give them when you do. They don't ask for anyone by name, and there's no way to connect to a live person, so it's not so easy to get them to stop calling.

I Googled this company, and apparently their legitimacy is questionable at best, and they've been sued several times for violating the law. And apparently if you do call them back, they won't even talk to you until you give them your SS number, which is simply not going to happen. I think one of my coworkers had a run-in with this company, because I heard him loudly exclaim, "I am NOT giving you my SS number!"

I don't think they're actually calling for me. <snip>

I don't think they're calling for you, either. I think this is a scam.

Consider this. You get a cold call that is obviously a robo call. I've gotten lots of these, I ignore them. Usually the claim is "we need to discuss an important business matter. Fuck you. If it's not important enough to call with a live person, then it's not important to me.

Ahem. Anyway. You get a cold call that is obviously a robo call. You call back and get someone who demands your SSN. You're dumb enough to give it.

They can then run a credit report on you that will include any real debts you owe. Then they "collect" a payment on that debt that is never given to the actual person or company who is owed. So you still owe the whole debt and the scammer has a nice payday they pay no taxes on.

Not saying this company does that. But that's why I never give out my SSN.

[EricKei]

agent: "What is your SSN?"

me: "987-65-4321" (I was gonna do the opposite, but 123 really is a valid prefix. TIL)

[taxguykarl]

3. Challenge the debt if you don't believe you owe it. That is, order them to send you written proof of the debt and stop calling you until they do. This will actually stop a good many collection attempts dead in their tracks, permanently'til the debt is sold to another collcector/buyer, as paperwork can get lost, assuming there ever was any.

Corrected for your convenience. Sent the demand certified with a return receipt--don't want them to deny receiving your letter. Chances are, especially in the case of NCO Financial Systems, the collector is a junk debt buyer who acquired a portfolio of debts for pennies on the dollar and has no info other than amounts and contact info--nothing on whether the debt was discarged in BK (a big no-no as there is a federal injuction prohibiting collection activity on that debt).

4. Never make a payment or a statement assuming responsibility for the debt without getting proof first. Companies can use this to claim you acknowledged the debt and lost the right to challenge it later.

Not only that but you have re-started the statute of limitations to sue on that debt; which may or may not have already expired. If you get a collection letter which states that the writer will not sue and you have no obligation to pay, chances are, this is the case.
I get calls for a third party and when I get a human on the line and state that such an individual does not live here, the calls stop. Mrs. TGK has recieved calls for her and ex and tells them that she has had no cotact for more than 12 years and has no idea of whereabouts. Needless to say, the calls stopped.
There is another forum for these matters, specifically Debtorboards

[AccountingDrone]

I got a google phone number and told the idiots calling for an ex roomie who hasn't lived here in 15 years that the last number I had for her was that one ... haven't been bothered by them since. To make it even better, I made it have a North Carolina area code =)

[LillFilly]

Ok, I'm pissed off now; apparently these people called my PARENTS in another state, asking for me so they could get in touch with my housemate. THAT'S how they got my number. But I haven't lived with them for 7-years, so I have no clue how they connected them to me, and me to housemate.

[Gilhelmi]

Ok, I'm pissed off now; apparently these people called my PARENTS in another state, asking for me so they could get in touch with my housemate. THAT'S how they got my number. But I haven't lived with them for 7-years, so I have no clue how they connected them to me, and me to housemate.

I would be upset with my parents too if they gave out my personal information.

I hope I am not out of line for asking this, but how old are your parents? If they are senior citizens then they might have broken a law by compelling them to give out your information. I would defiantly ask your parents EXACTLY what they were told by the collector.

Lucky for me, both my mother and father (65, 75) do not trust people calling them on any matter (other then for things they expect). So scammers can not get to them until Altimerzs fully sets into my father (I have no idea what I will do then).

[Kit-Ginevra]

Co-singers are the ones who are required to pay if the original borrower doesn't .

and required to perform the chorus if the original singer is not able to

[taxguykarl]

Ok, I'm pissed off now; apparently these people called my PARENTS in another state, asking for me

Contact a consumer attorney, you may have a case (housemate even more likely).

[Sapphire Silk]

I got a google phone number and told the idiots calling for an ex roomie who hasn't lived here in 15 years that the last number I had for her was that one ... haven't been bothered by them since. To make it even better, I made it have a North Carolina area code =)

Ooohhh! I like!

North Carolina is a debtor friendly state. It's hard to collect from a debtor in North Carolina; one of the things I like about living here.

Ok, I'm pissed off now; apparently these people called my PARENTS in another state, asking for me so they could get in touch with my housemate. THAT'S how they got my number. But I haven't lived with them for 7-years, so I have no clue how they connected them to me, and me to housemate.

This happened to me once. It was a zombie debt collection agency masquerading as a law firm; they threatened my mother with legal action if she didn't cough up my contact info.

Before she got Alzheimer's my mother was tough as nails. Always nice. But tough. You didn't pull that kind of crap on her. She took a name and THEIR phone number, and told them I'd call them . . . if I felt like it. She made no bones about it; my debts were not her problem.

I called them and ripped the rep a new one. Told them under no circumstances were they to call ANYONE about my debt, especially my mother. I told them to provide detailed records proving I owed, before I would admit the bill was mine.

I never heard from them again. Never paid them a red cent. Get tough, Lilly. Demand detailed proof of what the debt was; how you acquired it and why you owe THEM the bill. If they can't even tell you what the money was used to buy, they are SOL.

Lucky for me, both my mother and father (65, 75) do not trust people calling them on any matter (other then for things they expect). So scammers can not get to them until Altimerzs fully sets into my father (I have no idea what I will do then).

Don't wait, Gil. You need to talk to your parents about their finances if your dad has Alzheimers. It's not just bill collectors you need to worry about, or scammers. It's charities. My mom blew tons of cash on every charity that rang her up, including the Democratic Party . . . Mom is a die hard Republican.

Sounds like your parents need to give someone in the family (not necessarily you but someone money wise and responsible) a limited Power of Attorney over finances; so someone can check the bank account and look for any suspicious transactions and stop the scammers in their tracks.

When Brother and I put Mom in the nursing home, I stayed at the house for quite a while. The phone was literally ringing off the hook with charities looking for money. They wouldn't talk to me, even when I said I was Mom's POA. They just kept calling.

The volume only stopped when I started identifying myself as my mother and asking to be put on their do not call list.