Scam artists target people in debt

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September 5, 2010

Authorities say posers using aggressive scare tactics to prey on victims.

by Mike Fletcher For the Pharos-Tribune Pharos-Tribune Sun Sep 05, 2010, 09:22 PM EDT

— State Attorney General Greg Zoeller has issued a warning to all Hoosiers of a widespread scam that involves bogus debt collectors preying on unsuspecting people.

“The scammers have an alarming amount of personal information about their potential victims — putting consumers at high risk of identity theft and significant financial losses,” said Capt. Chris Smith of the Kokomo Police Department.

According to the reports received by the Indiana Attorney General’s Office, the fake debt collectors are impersonating law enforcement officers, lawyers or other official-sounding agencies such as the “IRS Collection Service.”

Smith said the scammers use very aggressive tactics to scare the consumer into paying the alleged debt. They accuse the victim of defaulting on a loan and, in some cases, claim they are about to be sued or even worse, they will tell the consumer they will be arrested and taken to jail if they don’t pay.

The victims are pressured into wiring money or providing bank account information to avoid the matter “going to court” or to avoid “jail time.” In many cases, victims are subject to dozens of nasty, abusive phone calls in a matter of hours, Smith said.

Equally disturbing is the amount of private information these bogus collectors have about their victims, which may include Social Security numbers, home addresses, information about employers, credit references and even old bank account numbers. Potential victims are being asked to verify other private information that could put them at high risk of identity theft.

The con artists likely obtained this sensitive information as a result of previous data breaches. This scam has been reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Trade Commission.

“If you get one of these calls, do not provide any verifying information,” Smith said. “Either hang up or demand that the debt collector send verification of the debt in writing. Under federal law, collectors are required to send consumers a written notice within five days of the initial contact.”

Anyone who has been the victim of a fraudulent debt collector can contact their local law enforcement agency. You can also contact the Federal Trade Commission at 877-382-4357. You can also contact the Indiana Attorney General’s Office to make a complaint of a fraudulent debt collector at www.IndianaConsumer.com or by calling 800-382-5516.

On the web:

To learn more about the debt collector scam, go to www.IndianaConsumer.com.

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Scam artists target people in debt

Authorities say posers using aggressive scare tactics to prey on victims.

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