Is it possible to get scammed by a collection agency?

You would do well to be suspicious of any telephone calls from collection agencies, even when you feel you actually owe the debt. It is not impossible for a fraudster to get ahold of your credit information and call you about a debt that seems likely to go to collections soon (or already has).

What should I do if I get a phone number from a collection agency?

Contacting your friends, employer, relatives or neighbours for information, other than to get your telephone number or address.

Is it legal to record a collection call?

Some debt collectors record collection calls. You are legally required to disclose that you are a debt collector and calling regarding an unpaid bill. A little off the topic – These states require All-Party Consent if the call is being recorded.

Do you get paid when you make a collection call?

Collection calls are commission-based, the collection agency gets paid only when the debtor makes a payment. The debtors are ideally required to pay the collection agency directly, and then the agency remits the amount back to their clients after deducting their collection fees.

Is it annoying to get calls from debt collectors?

LaToya Irby is a credit expert and has been covering credit and debt management for The Balance for more than a decade. Calls from debt collectors can be very annoying, to say the least. They can be annoying to the point that it makes you want to change your phone number just to stop the calls.

How can you tell if a collection agency is real?

A real collection agency knows something about your debt, or else will contact the original creditor themselves for information it doesn’t have. A real collection agency will never tell you to contact the original creditor, for any reason.

What to do before making a collections call?

Before making a collections call, make sure you are fully relaxed, and regardless of how bad your last collections call was. Tell yourself “ I will remain calm during this call, no matter what “. Let’s agree, a collections call from a debt collector is really that last thing any person wants to receive on any given day.