Beware Recent Identity Theft Scam by Debt Collectors
» Print This Page- August 21, 2015
- Debt Collector Harassment
Please be careful when providing personal information to people who call you. Recently we have had an increased number of calls from people saying they have received phone calls from someone who claims to be a debt collection company. This person may provide you the last four numbers of your social security number and give you information that makes you believe the call is from a legitimate company. However, you should never give out personal information such as employer, salary, cell phone number, bank information, etc. in response to the call. If this is a legitimate organization, they will have all the information they need.
Always ask the caller to send you something in writing; if they are legitimate they will already have your address, do not provide it to them. Never provide personal information to a stranger. Remember, simple information such as providing your employer, salary and address can be enough information for them to fill out a credit card in your name. That is one way that identity theft gets started. We recommend that you monitor your credit card statements. Also, you can request a copy of your credit report from the 3 major credit bureaus annually for free at www.annualcreditreport.com. Unless you suspect an issue, we generally recommend that you request your credit report from one of the 3 credit bureaus, then from a second credit bureau 4 months later, and then the third credit bureau 4 months after that. That way, you can continue obtaining your credit report continuously every 4 months without charge. Of course, if you find a problem, you will want to obtain all 3 credit reports as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please contact us at 386-444-3032. Don’t be a victim of identity theft.
