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Consumer Alert: Fake debt collector scam calls

<p>Officials say that last year&rsquo;s massive security breach at Equifax has led to a new round of unsuspecting people getting calls from fake debt collectors trying to scam them.</p>

News 12 Staff

•

Feb 9, 2018, 9:27 PM

•

Updated 2,267 days ago

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Officials say that last year’s massive security breach at Equifax has led to a new round of unsuspecting people getting calls from fake debt collectors trying to scam them.
“We have been getting a lot of phone calls from people being victimized by fake debt collection calls,” says Pam Dixon with the World Privacy Forum.
Dixon says that since the Equifax breach, the scammers may even have real information about the victim.
“They’ll say you did not make a payment on, and then they’ll say the name of the credit card. They already have that information,” she says.
Officials say that there are some ways to protect oneself from these types of scams.
  • Never pay a debt collector over the phone
  • Ask for the debt information in writing
  • Get the name of the “collection agency,” look up the number and call them back
Officials say that above all, do not give out personal information. If they have already called you, they do not need to verify your identity.
Experts also say that if you do not think that you owe money, you probably don’t and it is more than likely a scam.
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