My Friend Judy recently got a phone call from a collection agency regarding a past medical procedure; they then tried to extract money from her. She didn’t owe any money, and so she told them to take a hike. You can read the details on her weblog.
This sounds like some sort of new scam. Information is getting into the hands of unscrupulous people and it is being used to make very-slightly-credible demands for payment.
This really pisses me off because it is an attempt to prey on the vulnerable. If you get enough of this sort of information, you have a treasure trove of people who have been through trying health problems.
It’s been said that you can’t con an honest man. The theory behind this is that most good cons hook the mark by appealing to their greed, which makes them override their better judgment. However, it’s much more accurate to say you can often con a vulnerable person. This is why elderly, lonely, sick, bereaved and poor people are so often the target of scams. And greed (the dishonest man) is one sort of vulnerability.
[This is the moment when I marshal my powers of self control and don’t go off-topic into a rant about “psychics” who scam the bereaved. Marshalling… Whew - close one.]
Long story short, check out Judy’s story and be wary of anyone trying to collect on old debts that you don’t remember. Ask for everything in writing before making any payment. Call the organization you originally had business with and get them to verify the debt.
Posted by James at December 5, 2006 1:23 PMI'm glad you're passing that along! The more people who know about this kind of sick scammer, the less profitable it will be.
Posted by: Judy at December 5, 2006 2:26 PMOne thing about the internet I love: news travels fast. Glad to pass this along. Forewarned is hopefully forearmed.
In July, the Boston Globe did a multi-part series on debt collection and disreputable organizations. One firm, owned by two brothers, has left the state.
It's a long series, but it's a good one. There are hideous stories featuring disgusting actions on the part of some of these debt collectors, indlucing repos of property from the wrong people (names sound or look alike, but they're not the debtors). There are also satisfying comments by lawmakers and even the SJC.
Check it out:
Debtors' Hell
http://www.boston.com/news/specials/debt/
Thanks for the link!
Posted by: James at December 5, 2006 4:40 PM