Fake Government Debt Collectors

If you receive a call from someone who claims to work for the government and asks for sensitive personal information or money to pay off a debt, what should you do? It is extremely important to be aware of government imposters in the debt collection industry. According to a recent article from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the agency has received numerous reports about fake government agents trying to scam consumers.
Learning More About Government Imposters in the Debt Collection Industry
According to the FTC article, this is not the first time that “those pesky government imposters” have attempted to deceive consumers. These fake callers take many different approaches in their efforts to con consumers out of money. In some cases, the government imposters will tell you that you have won a contest and will indicate that they need more information about you (from your home address to your Social Security number) in order to deliver your winnings. In other cases, fake government callers will try to collect debts you allegedly owe or will try to get you to pay money to clean up your credit report. As the FTC highlights, “they’re all lies.”
The FTC and other government agencies will not contact you by phone to collect on a debt, and the government certainly will not offer to take negative information off your credit report in exchange for a fee. Given that the government will not contact you in the same way that these scammers do, if you get a phone call from someone who claims to be a government official, do not provide any personal or financial information. Certainly do not provide a credit card number or other form of payment.
The FTC emphasizes that the only way to put an end to these types of scams is by spreading the word about them.
Fake Debt Collectors and Robocalls
Are these phone calls from government imposters the same thing as “robocalls” from debt collectors? In many cases, it can be difficult for consumers to know the difference between a robocall that relates to a real debt and a phone call from a fake government employee. Knowing the difference is especially important when the number of robocalls received by consumers is also on the rise, according to a recent report from Consumerist.com.
Last month alone, about 2.3 billion robocalls were placed across the country, and the majority of those calls were attempting to collect on a debt. Chicago residents received the second-highest number of robocalls in the country, totaling 77.9 million in January 2016. While debt collectors may not have accurate information about what you owe, robocalls do not necessarily stem from scammers like the government calls. However, it is always important to be on alert for any party that calls you and attempts to seek payment or personal information from you.
You should know that you have rights as a consumer. Even if you are behind on your bills and owe substantial debts to certain creditors, you have a right to be treated in particular ways by debt collectors according to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). If you believe that you were approached by a debt collector under the terms that violated the FDCPA or if you were targeted by a government imposter, an experienced Oak Park consumer protection lawyer may be able to help. Contact the Emerson Law Firm today.
See Related Blog Posts:
Using the “Borrower Defense” to Wipe Out Your Student Loans

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