Phantom Debt Collectors

Consumers across the country report that they’re getting telephone calls from people trying to collect loans the consumers never received or on loans they did receive for amounts they do not owe.  Others are receiving calls from people seeking to recover on loans consumers received but where the creditors never authorized the callers to collect them.

The FTC is warning consumers to be alert for scam artists posing as debt collectors.  It may be hard to tell the difference between a legitimate debt collector and a fake one.

A caller may be a fake debt collector if he/she:

• is seeking payment on a debt for a loan you do not recognize;
• refuses to give you a mailing address or phone number;
• asks for personal financial or sensitive information; or
• exerts high pressure to try to scare you into paying, such as threatening to have you arrested or to report you to a law enforcement agency.

For more information, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

1. Ask students to make a list of protections provided by the Fair Collection Practices Act.
2. Ask students to prepare a list of steps they should take if the harassment continues.

Discussion Questions

• If you think that a caller may be a fake debt collector, why is it important to ask the caller for his name, company, street address, or telephone number?
• If you think that a caller may be a fake debt collector, should you stop speaking with the caller? Why or why not?