Whew! It's not me....

[kasar]

Okay, not sure if I handled this properly. When I got home today there was a message on my machine from some Legal Defense guy about "The IRS situation" and how urgent it was and that they have sent several letters!!! HUH??? Talk about panic time! Anyhow, it wasn't for us but it was for my neighbor across the street. I have so many issues with this like why would they leave such a personal and potentially embarrassing message on a machine, how did they get OUR number (does the IRS know who everyone's neighbors are?) and am I supposed to go over there and let them know that I know their business? What I did do is call the number back and let them know that they had the wrong number - I never mentioned that I know who these people are. Hopefully that's the end of it. I don't think I'll say a word to the neighbors, we don't even know them that well. I share the same first name with the woman, so I really did have a moment of panic until I replayed the message. Whew!

 

[Harley Chick]

I had the same thing happen to me once. The guy in the apartment across the hall gave my address and phone number as the place he lived, and I was constantly harrassed by people looking for him for money. He told EVERYONE he lived with me. It was a nightmare.

 

[philaround]

Many bill collectors will look up phone numbers in a directory that is in street address order. If a neighbor at say #11 has been ducking a bill collector for a while the bill collector will call the neighbors at #9 & #13. They will usually just say that they have been trying to contact the people at #11 and would you be able to have them call back. They will give you a phone number but not tell you why they are trying to contact them. If they so much as hint that they are a bill collector they would be breaking the law in just about every location in America.

the only person they can go into details with is a co-signer of the debt since that person can be held responsible for the debt.

 

[Cinders]

Sounds like the calls I get for a well driller. His number has the last 2 numbers switched and I often get nasty calls asking why the well drillers arent at peoples houses. The last time I called the well driller and told him I had a msg for him and hit play on my machine then hung up.