Watch out for Phony Debt Collectors

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If you’ve read through some of the do not call reports at EveryCall.us, you won’t be surprised that in the past couple of months there have been an outbreak of phony debt collectors threatening arrest or court action if a payday loan isn’t repaid immediately.

According to the Better Business Bureau, the scammers say they are with the “Financial Accountability Association” or the “Federal Legislation of Unsecured Loans” and are equipped with a disconcerting amount of personal information about their potential victims.

The Better Business Bureau has issued a Nationwide alert and believes that there may have been a massive breach in customer information which has armed these scammers with personal information.

Here are some simple tips from EveryCall.us:

• Ask the caller for the name of their business, address, and a return telephone number so that you may call them back after you’ve verified the legitimacy of their business.
• DO NOT provide any bank account information, additional personal information or credit card information over the phone.
• Demand that they send you proof of the purported debt.
• DO NOT wire any money or send any form of payment until you know that the entity is legitimate.
• File a report both at EveryCall.us and the FCC and include any information that you have obtained.