Beware of phony debt collectors

Posted by Caitlin on August 12th, 2009

The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning about phony debt collectors. The BBB is concerned about the possibility of a recent mass data breach, since the scammers are already armed with victims' personal information, including Social Security numbers, old bank account and driver's license numbers, home addresses, employer information, and even names of friends and references. The scammers, who claim to be from the "Financial Accountability Association" or the "Federal Legislation of Unsecured Loans," demand that their victims pay as much as $1,000 by wire or credit card, and threaten arrest if victims don't comply. If you get a call like this, please do not provide or confirm any of your sensitive personal data. If you don't owe any money and the caller is harassing you, you should file a complaint with the BBB and the Federal Trade Commission. And if a caller already has some of your information, consider yourself at an increased risk for identity theft, and take appropriate precautions, such as freezing your credit or, if you haven't already, investing in identity theft protection.