Aug 22, 2005 -- Debt collectors violate the law by taking your money
Clark has had dozens of calls about collectors and collection agents pressuring people into paying money for past debts. Often times, people dont even owe the money. But the collector has gone to a bank and basically bought debt that someone owed from the 80s. Typically, the debt has been wiped out during bankruptcy, but banks sell the debt anyway. Then, the collector looks up the name in a database, calls the person listed and starts screaming at him or her to pay this debt. Anyone with the same name could be contacted. Yet, some people get so intimated by the collector that they pay. One company Clark has talked about before is NCO. The company has been going after people who dont owe any money after buying a bunch of debt from Chase Bank. What most people dont know is that its illegal to try to collect a debt in bankruptcy. So, if you get a call from NCO, know that it is a scavenger organization that has been fined numerous times for violating the law. However, if you get a letter in the mail, you have to dispute the claim. It sounds ridiculous, but you MUST respond in writing and tell the organization that the debt is not yours. Otherwise, it becomes your debt automatically. And, even if you do owe a debt, never give your banking information or a postdated check - to a collector.