Getting calls for NOT my debt

Excerpt from this website: http://blog.credit.com/2011/04/getting-collection-calls-for-someone-else-heres-what-to-do-19814/

And What Rights Do Consumers Have?

What rights do consumers have if they are getting calls from a debt collector for someone else? Salvo says, “My clients are really trying to just collect debts from people who owe them. There’s no benefit to them to keep calling the wrong person. If you tell them, they will stop.” She recommends trying to get someone on the phone and asking them to remove your number from their records.

But what if that doesn’t work? Block explains that many of the rights provided by the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act are afforded to “any person,” and not just the person who owes the debt. If the collector is calling about a debt that belongs to someone else, the person receiving the calls can sue for actual damages, statutory damages and his or her attorney’s fees.

He also points out that state laws may provide additional rights. In California, for example, the recipient of the calls may be able to sue the debt collector and original creditor under California’s Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Salvo has another suggestion: ask the debt collector for the company’s fax number or email address. “If the calls don’t stop right away, the person being called can email or fax the collector the first page of their phone bill—showing the phone number the collector just called, and the name of the person on the bill (not the debtor). That could be very And What Rights Do Consumers Have?

What rights do consumers have if they are getting calls from a debt collector for someone else? Salvo says, “My clients are really trying to just collect debts from people who owe them. There’s no benefit to them to keep calling the wrong person. If you tell them, they will stop.” She recommends trying to get someone on the phone and asking them to remove your number from their records.

But what if that doesn’t work? Block explains that many of the rights provided by the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act are afforded to “any person,” and not just the person who owes the debt. If the collector is calling about a debt that belongs to someone else, the person receiving the calls can sue for actual damages, statutory damages and his or her attorney’s fees.

He also points out that state laws may provide additional rights. In California, for example, the recipient of the calls may be able to sue the debt collector and original creditor under California’s Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Salvo has another suggestion: ask the debt collector for the company’s fax number or email address. “If the calls don’t stop right away, the person being called can email or fax the collector the first page of their phone bill—showing the phone number the collector just called, and the name of the person on the bill (not the debtor). That could be very And What Rights Do Consumers Have?

What rights do consumers have if they are getting calls from a debt collector for someone else? Salvo says, “My clients are really trying to just collect debts from people who owe them. There’s no benefit to them to keep calling the wrong person. If you tell them, they will stop.” She recommends trying to get someone on the phone and asking them to remove your number from their records.

But what if that doesn’t work? Block explains that many of the rights provided by the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act are afforded to “any person,” and not just the person who owes the debt. If the collector is calling about a debt that belongs to someone else, the person receiving the calls can sue for actual damages, statutory damages and his or her attorney’s fees.

He also points out that state laws may provide additional rights. In California, for example, the recipient of the calls may be able to sue the debt collector and original creditor under California’s Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Salvo has another suggestion: ask the debt collector for the company’s fax number or email address. “If the calls don’t stop right away, the person being called can email or fax the collector the first page of their phone bill—showing the phone number the collector just called, and the name of the person on the bill (not the debtor). That could be very convincing."

There's probably a way that you should be able to tell them to stop calling or send them a cease and desist letter if not asking to be removed as a reference. IANAL so you may want to talk to one if you have that ability.

/r/personalfinance Thread