What does this mean?

[Pixieflip]

Long story. Short version. As per another thread about a friend who is forever out of money, we have a relative, let's say a sibling of ours, who has same issues. They've filed for bankruptcy twice in this lifetime. Not only that, but their mommy and daddy bailed them out and bought them a house so the grandkids wouldn't have to continue to live in skanky rentals anymore. (Don't even get me started on how bad of an idea THAT is.) There's plenty more, but you get the idea...they're not so good with money.

Twice in the past 4 months we have received strange voice messages from collection agencies looking for them. They have never lived here. They live two states and 500 miles away. What the heck?? I know everything on the internet is up for hacking. Are these agencies just googling relatives? They don't have any recourse with US do they??

We told her the last time this happened. I'm telling her again. What the heck?

 

[Planogirl]

One company I worked for would call the friends and relatives of missing borrowers regularly. They hoped to get hints as to how to reach them.

You are not responsible for their bills, don't worry.

 

[*pixie*dust*]

Loan applications sometimes ask for "the closest relative not living with you". That is so collectors can call and try to find out where the person may have went. If you have their info, give it to them. They will stop calling.

 

[asoko]

I think they try anything. My husband got a rude call about somebody we don't know and aren't even related to because we have the same last name. It's crazy.

We told them we were not who they were looking for and to stop calling us.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

we get calls for the first owner of the home we live in and own. That was four or five owners BEFORE we bought the house.

No - I am not JIM MILLER, I don't know JIM MILLER, I'm not married to JIM MILLER, I've never met JIM MILLER, the only thing we have in common is that I live in the house that JIM MILLER originally owned.

It gets so old........

(and FWIW, we have relatives like yours too -- unfortunately, we have the same last name so it wont be hard for the collection people to find our number when the time comes.....)

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

We were getting calls regularly for "Ronetta Clackston" even though our machine says you've reached K and M - does not list a Ronetta. What's strange is that we have had our phone number for over 6 years. We did move about a year and half ago but we moved into a brand new home. The 3rd time I called them back telling them we do not know this person and she certainly does not live here, they finally seemed to get it. Haven't gotten any calls in a month or so. Fingers crossed it stays that way! So annoying.

 

[Avonlady1001]

They may have put you down as a reference...my "friend" did this to me w/out asking. I used to get LOTS of calls from the collection agencies looking for her...

Unless you co-signed something for them, you wouldn't be responsible for their bills...you just get to be annoyed by the calls! Aren't you lucky!!

 

[Ephany]

Because of my sister we received dozens of phone calls a day for weeks/months. They know where she is, but since she's a deadbeat and we're not, we were lucky enough that they wanted us to assume responsibility. My response aside from telling them that if they were stupid enough to give her credit, they got what they deserve was to leave us alone. We almost changed our phone number, even being unlisted didn't help. You're not responsible for anything, you may just have to keep telling callers to leave you alone (and how to find said relatives if you want).

My friend's step dad once received a phone call about her husband's mother's debt. They had only met once at the wedding, but somehow the credit companies figured out their kids were married and so they were harrassing him trying to get money.

 

[badblackpug]

If you do internet searches for people it comes up with their relatives. If you want to get the bill collectors off your phone give them the correct telephone number!

 

[cvjw]

My 12 year old son kept getting calls on his brand new cell phone from Wells Fargo bank about his overdue mortgage payments! They called and called - even getting him in trouble in Advanced Math one day because he forgot to turn his phone off before class started. I finally got the number and called Wells Fargo and told them to leave my son alone, the person they were after no longer had that cell phone number.

 

[ashleyd725@hotmail.c]

We get phone calls for two different people all the time! And whoever is calling will get mad when I dont know who they are...
I ask them all the time if they think a phone number is specific to a house? Because numbers can change and then they will ask "is xxx the address where you are", "no it is not", then they say "are you sure" Seriously!!!! Yes I am sure of my address... Makes me soooo angry

 

[Kay1]

We got a strange one about a neighbor. A woman left a message saying she just had to get in touch with him, could I go to his house and tell him to call her. I Googled the number and found out it was a collection agency.

There's something called a "block party." They call as many neighbors as they can to shame the debtor. I chose to ignore the whole thing.

 

[Swimalie]

We got a strange one about a neighbor. A woman left a message saying she just had to get in touch with him, could I go to his house and tell him to call her. I Googled the number and found out it was a collection agency.

There's something called a "block party." They call as many neighbors as they can to shame the debtor. I chose to ignore the whole thing.

I have gotten that, too. For my neighbor who is also my friend. I never told her.

I have also been getting calls for someone with the same last name as us (fairly common name) but not in this family. The calls are some times 2 a day. I have told them she isn't part of this family nor lives here nor do I know her. They don't care and keep calling.

I also, about 5 years ago, got a call about my ex-fiance. I hadn't heard someone say his name in over 10 years at that point. I've been married for 14 and was totally taken aback. I have no contact with him and want to keep it that way.

I can't stand these types of calls. Sadly, they are more common than we realize.

 

[NVDisMom]

It sounds like all of us have received these calls. A relative of mine hadn't made his payments on his ATV and the bank was calling looking for the actual vehicle. I can't tell you how many times I told them I didn't have a clue. Finally I got mad one day asked for the company's name and address as well as the employees name. Sent them a certified letter threatening them with suit for harassment, haven't heard from them since.

 

[Pixieflip]

Thanks. I'm so glad to hear your stories! If I give them their info and they continue to be deadbeats, will I continue to be harassed? What do you think?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Try this advice: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100219055645AAwhIJ4 - the cease & desist letter, and the followup action/s.

 

[eyor44]

I'm an admin for a very large group of people. A couple of employees would give my work number when signing up for credit and stuff instead of their work numbers. They wanted me to "screen" their calls. Ummmm, no, I will not screen your personal calls.

My transfer button works very well and soon the calls stopped as my employees realized that I wasn't going to cover for them.

 

[SandrA9810]

I get calls all the time for people looking for my mother.

There's been several times when I haven't talked to her in months, and she has no phone. I just tell them I don't have contact information for her because I turned her phone off (which is true... partly, she has a phone through my sister now).

About once a year I get a run down of collectors calling for her for various things.

If anything, just say "the last I heard, said person was unemployed and has no phone, sorry". It pretty much reiterates that they probably won't be seeing their money any time soon, and that there is no phone number to call.

 

[Swimalie]

My fear has always been that if I tell them any info, they will continue to call in case the info has changed. For example if you tell them they are at such and such address. Well, then if they move the collection agency already has you in a database that you are a contact for them, other agencies might contact you in the future for info. So I just say I don't know their where abouts at all and have no contact at all with them.

 

[badblackpug]

Thanks. I'm so glad to hear your stories! If I give them their info and they continue to be deadbeats, will I continue to be harassed? What do you think?

I doubt it unless you are a co-signer. If you do a free internet search on sites like zabasearch and intellius you will come up with relatives names.