If you’ve received a collection call recently, you either know why you’re getting it—because you have unpaid debt that you know about—or you have no idea why those insanely insistent people keep bugging you. Did you know that even if you’re financially responsible and don’t know of any outstanding debt, you can still receive collection calls that require action? The worst thing you can do is ignore a collection call, whether you’re expecting it or not.
When you get a call from someone claiming to be a collection agent, you should do several things to ensure your financial security.
First, verify that the caller is from a legitimate collection company. Ask what company they’re calling from and if you can call them back later that day. Take down a number where they can be reached and write down their company name. Search online to verify that both the company and phone number are legitimate before giving out any personal information.
If they are not legitimate, you should report them to the FCC and ignore future calls. If you confirm that they are legitimate, you need to call them back as soon as possible to investigate why they are calling you. If you have outstanding debt that you know about, the collection agency can talk to you about payment options or other means of resolving your debt. Even if you suspect a mistake, you still need to call back in order to protect your credit and identity.
You can owe money to a collection agency for several reasons other than simply failing to pay bills. Someone else may have stolen your credit card information or other personal information and may be making purchases to debt in your name. Similarly, someone may have managed to transfer their debt to your name by claiming to be a relative. Or, the credit company may simply have the wrong billing information listed or have you confused with someone who has a similar name or number. In any of these situations, it is important for you to resolve the issue as soon as you start receiving calls or letters.
