Debt collection is one industry which deserves close and rigorous regulation. They’re scumbags.
One company based in California calls and sends me letters trying to recover debts I do not owe to San Antonio hospitals in which I have never received treatment. NEVER!
Complaints to the Attorney General of Texas were simply forwarded to the Attorney General of California who simply forwarded the complaint to the scumbags who answered with a truly BS reply. They basically claimed I was covering for someone within my household who did owe the debt. Scumbags!
After several months of not hearing from them, thinking my demand they cease contacting me and remove me from their database, they started up again!
Scumbags!
Get a police whistle.
Keep it near your phone.
Yep - I had one based in Texas trying to collect on a medical bill I had paid when I got the bill. They kept coming back with stronger warnings until I sent both them and the medical folks they represent a registered letter telling them that if this continued, or if my credit rating took a hit because they couldn't get their $hit straight, the next missive would be from my lawyer and the instructions for my lawyer would be to collect as much money as humanly possible.
That is possibly a case of stolen identity. I would recommend checking with one of the several accredited websites that help folks determine if they are victims of identity theft or not. This might only seem like an inconvenience right now, but what if this person jumps bail on some felony charges under your name, or if they get into your 401K account and cash it out.
there is regulation. Enforcement is a joke. collectors know they can get away with everything because their targets have no money and are a low priority when violations are reported.
nobody cares.
I had something similar happen. I thought I put a stop to the phones calls after I managed to talk to a real person at the dept collection agency and telling them I had no idea who they were looking for. About 6 months later I started getting phone calls for the same unknown person. They even called my parents in an another city looking for this person. Unbelievable. The calls eventually went way when I was home during the workday and answered the phone.
I am guessing these dept collection firms buy, sell and trade cases and start from scratch each time..