Weird "collection" call my mom received today

[JLRodgers]

This is really, really weird....

They called the house and said she owed them $1600.... the call went something like this after the standard things (m = mom; c = "collection agency"):

c: so what's your check number so we can pay it all off
m: who are you?
c: I can't tell you that, so what's your check number?
m: who's the bill for?
c: I can't tell you that...
m: When was the bill sent to collections?
c: I can't tell you that...
m: I'm not paying you anything until you tell me who and what it's for!
c: I don't have that information, so when are you going to pay us?
m: I'm not
c: so you're saying you're not going to pay your bills?
m: I'm saying I'm not going to send money to someone without knowing who the bill's with, what it's for, etc
c: *pissed off* it's for celestial MasterCard (something like that, we've never heard of it)
m: I've never had one of those
c: so you ssn is xxx-xx-xxxx?
m: yes, but I've never had that credit card
c: you racked up $1600 on it and it needs to be paid now!!!!!!
m: I haven't had a credit card for over 10 years, and I didn't even have over $500 limit on them.
c: how about $1000?
m: Can you send proof I have a bill with them?
c: I can't tell you that... why aren't you willing to pay off the bill? I knocked off $500!
m: I'm not sending anything to you unless you can show me a bill and proof I had this card (note: this so-called card isn't even on her credit report or even listed as a debt as shown to mortgage or loan companies!)
c: I can't send you that, but I will send you a statement saying you owe us $1600
m: I'm not just sending you money for some bill you can't even prove I had
** about 15 minutes pass -- repeat the past conversation with some insults, threats and calling my mom a liar **
c: I'm sorry, but you've wasted enough of my time -- goodbye.
(yes, the rep said my mom was wasting her time)



Is this some type of weird scam or something? I looked up the number online only to find hundreds of complaints with people having similar conversations -- many saying they've never heard of the so-called company that they've got a bill with; many others saying the bill keeps on changing values (it's 350, then 700, then 1500, then 1000, then 3000 -- all depending on the rep and day)

[MadMike]

Sounds like a scam to me. Your mom is right -- it's just plain stupid to send someone money just because they say you owe them.

I'd be a little worried though that they have her SS#.

[Broomjockey]

Is it a Southern California number? I've gotten multiple scam calls the past few weeks from that area. One telling me my factory warranty on my vehicle's bad, and one telling me that I've been looking at property in Santa Barbara, or something like that.

[KiaKat]

1st: LOCK HER CREDIT REPORTS. This is critical. Because they have her SS#, they could try reporting to spite her. Make sure the credit agencies (all three) are aware of this, and that they have your social.

2nd: See if you can track the number to a particular locality. Report it to the local police.

3rd: Report to the BBB.

Be very careful, because they have the correct SSN...and now it's confirmed, by your mom saying 'yes.'

When these calls happen, tell them they must send you a Dunning letter, and that until they do, no further communication will be accepted. Do not give them ANY information, even your full name. Without a Dunning letter, it is a scam, and needs to be treated as such.

RE: the factory warranty scam - This is a scam, they pull it all the time. If you're on the DNC list, report the number. If you're on a cell, I believe there's a way to report the number as well, plus contact your phone company to have the minutes taken off. They're usually cooperative if they know it's a scam.

Don't be afraid to report to local police, if you can track a locality for the number. And the BBB. That's what they're there for.

[JLRodgers]

Thanks for all the really, really quick replies! I'll be sure to pass them on to her when I talk to her next (she's returning "home" now as she [as of tomorrow] is no longer living at the number they called at ) I think the number is from New York... at least the area code is.

She said almost immediately after, "how did they get my SSN?" and then "Damn, I never should've confirmed it!"

[KiaKat]

Use AnnualCreditReport.com to check reports (never use anything else, they're all fee-based and often not the actual scores), and contact each of the bureaus to alert them. If you have a phone number hopefully some research can turn up more info.

But yeah. The having of the SS# scares me. I had a call from an Ohio number the other day, one I don't know, and none of my friends have any connection to it. So now I'm wondering if someone has my info...I went through a spat of Identity Theft a few years back, and I'm still dealing with repercussions. So I'm particularly paranoid on this topic.

More info from Other Half (who is a Credit Expert): They cannot threaten you over phone, they cannot call after a certain hour (not likely a violation here) and they cannot say (if it happens again) that they will throw you into prison/etc

[Sheldonrs]

I used to get calls like that from a collection agency. I had been out of work for 4 months and couldn't pay the monthly bil.
After it went to collections I would get really rude calls. When I asked them if I could set up some kind of payment plan for when I started working again I always got the response "So you are refusing to pay your debt?".
When I would tell them "No, I'm trying to set up a payment plan so i can pay it again" they would just repeat the same line only with extreme emphasis on the word "are".
After i filed bankruptcy, I got one more call from them and when i told them I had filed, they said "You didn't have to do that, we could have worked something out!" and then they hung up on me.

[Spiffy McMoron]

Is it a Southern California number? I've gotten multiple scam calls the past few weeks from that area. One telling me my factory warranty on my vehicle's bad, and one telling me that I've been looking at property in Santa Barbara, or something like that.

Highlighted for attention:

The car warranty people are really bad--they'll only phone your cell, and let you know that your vehicles warranty is up. They actually phoned on of my co-workers (at the dealership where I work) to tell him that his warranty was expiring, and that they will extend the vehicles warranty to 350,000 kms! No real warranty company would ever think about extending warranty past 160,000 kms.

So, Broom, did you ask if it was for the warranty on your X-Wing Fighter or your TARDIS machine?

[Bandit]

One telling me my factory warranty on my vehicle's bad

I'm just ticked off that I'm never around when I get the calls about the "Factory Warranty" is about to expire.

I'm driving a '95 Toyota. Didn't know Toyota ever offered a 14 year warranty. I'd be baiting them buggers like there was no tomorrow.

B

[RootedPhoenix]

It gets better, though. I got one of those calls and I don't even own a vehicle...

So, I guess the factory warranty on my feet is running out....

[Broomjockey]

So, Broom, did you ask if it was for the warranty on your X-Wing Fighter or your TARDIS machine?

Neither. Sadly, I'd let it go to voicemail because I was busy. It was a recording, anyways. It's the one about the property in the US that astounded me. Did they really think I'd forget calling about it? Because that was the line they used. "We're returning your message about blah blah blah."

What annoys the ever-living hell out of me is They're in the US, I'm in Canada. I can't put my number on the US DNC list. I tried. I don't believe there's a Canadian DNC list, and if there is, they're not supposed to call cell phones either way.

Also, I have no car, nor interest in property. I actually miss the guy who called me up claiming to be from Mastercard, offering me a card, if I just gave him a bunch of information over the phone. Remember, he called me. I was fine with basic address, but when he wanted my SIN, I said "Send me a paper application, I will not give that out over the phone." He called back several times over the course of a few weeks. I kept telling him to send an application. Finally my roommate got the phone while I was out, and yelled at him to stop calling. I'm 100,000% sure it was a scam, but at least it was a scam that might be applicable.

[draftermatt]

I'm just ticked off that I'm never around when I get the calls about the "Factory Warranty" is about to expire.

I'm driving a '95 Toyota. Didn't know Toyota ever offered a 14 year warranty. I'd be baiting them buggers like there was no tomorrow.

B

Heh, I got a call from one of them, and I asked what kind of warranty they thought my 96 Jeep with 160,000 miles on it would have.

They hung up.

[protege]

Heh, I got a call from one of them, and I asked what kind of warranty they thought my 96 Jeep with 160,000 miles on it would have.

Oh, the fun I could have with those fools The next time I get one of those calls... I'm *so* tempted to ask about a warranty for my 1959 Radio-Flyer