Have you received a phone call from a so-called law firm threatening to sue you for check fraud? Have they called you at work and told you that if you did not pay them, they will show up at your job and serve you with court papers or worse yet, arrest you? Are your family and friends being harassed and threatened about being sued for conspiracy to your crime?
These are the most common tactics used by scheme companies today so that you would provide them with your credit card or bank account information. They tell you that you need to pay off a payday loan debt that you supposedly borrowed from a lender online.
Who would not be afraid of these threats? Most people who receive these phone calls are the ones who did obtain a payday loan over the internet at some point or another. Let's face it; payday loan borrowers are repeat borrowers. It is possible that one may forget which internet companies they actually have borrowed money from. Upon receiving one of these calls, one might think that they forgot to pay off the lender and now is the time to pay them back.
It is not so hard to believe these scammers either. Most will tell the victim that they are collecting the money to pay off payday loans that they did owe before, or may currently still owe. 99% of the time, they will convince you that you borrowed the payday loan by stating the same exact information that is typically used to apply for a loan: your social security number, your bank account number, employer information, and personal references.
So how did these companies get a hold of your information if they are not your payday lender? How can you be sure that this is a scam?
There is no certain answer as to how these scam companies gather your personal and private information. The process is still under investigation and may take years to crack.
Majority of the people who receive these calls are those who do have payday loan debt with numerous companies over the internet. In most cases, these people are protected by the payday loan consolidation company they are working with. These companies can easily track which collections calls are legit or not.
So what if you are not working with a payday loan consolidation company? How will you know that this is a scam? First of all, think to yourself: "Will a 'law firm' actually ask me to make a payment directly to them? Is that really their job?" Obviously, the answer to this questions is NO. Second, most of these scam companies work off-shore and you will be able to tell the difference just by hearing their thick accents. Third, ask the voice on the other line to provide you with your loan agreement and documents. You need to ask them for proof that you did indeed borrow this money, and if they cannot give you the information you requested, let them know that you will not pay them a dime. You can also take their phone number and search for it online to see if it is a legit company or not.
While many have fallen victim into this scam, you do not have to be one of them. Stand your ground and do not be afraid to say no to these criminals. Be persistent and let them know that you will not succumb to their threats. Once these scammers realize that you are too smart to fool, the phone calls will stop and the nightmare will be over.
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