Florida Credit Card Debt problems

[alligatorob]

Florida, I have a friend who contacted me for advice, probably because I am the only person she knows with a college education, but I am no lawyer.

She tells me she is getting harnessing calls, some late at night over a 2011 credit card debt. She tells me she always pays her bills, but to be honest I am not sure if she knows if this debt is real or not, and she seems to have few records. When I do a Google search for help I see what appear to me to be mostly ads from people who want to consolidate her debt or somehow take her money. She is a poor person with few resources, I don't really know her well but I would like to at least point her in the right direction. Are there public agencies or others who are not just out to profit that she could contact for help?

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Zigner]

Florida, I have a friend who contacted me for advice, probably because I am the only person she knows with a college education, but I am no lawyer.

She tells me she is getting harnessing calls, some late at night over a 2011 credit card debt. She tells me she always pays her bills, but to be honest I am not sure if she knows if this debt is real or not, and she seems to have few records. When I do a Google search for help I see what appear to me to be mostly ads from people who want to consolidate her debt or somehow take her money. She is a poor person with few resources, I don't really know her well but I would like to at least point her in the right direction. Are there public agencies or others who are not just out to profit that she could contact for help?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Tell her to block the calls, or to turn off the ringer overnight.

 

[coolmaltese]

I see the original poster is from Florida, and it seems like scammers are targeting senior citizens and low income people here in Florida (probably elsewhere too). A while back there was a local TV news station that did a story on this and the harassing LATE night calls were one of the red flags of a scam. These low-life scammers prey on the most vulnerable and have been known to threaten jail and other illegal tactics if a debt is not paid. Some of the more obvious scammers would also require immediate payment...if a debt collector mentions immediate payment and the words "Western Union" or "Walmart Green Dot" or "Walmart Money Cards", it is a scam.

It sounds like the debt may or may not be real. The person's first step would be to determine if the debt is legitimate. They should ask the caller for documented proof of the debt, pull a free credit report, etc.

If the debt is not legitimate, the suggestion about blocking the number is the best option for most people.