Watch out for Scam Bill Collectors Calling after a Bankruptcy is Filed

I don’t know if this is occurring to our Florida bankruptcy clients, but I imagine it is. The ABI

I have a warning for you about scam bill collectors. Criminal gangs are posing as law enforcement officials. They are calling people and emailing phony threats to collect on fake debts that you do not owe. They pose as bill collectors. But they’re not. They’re thieves. During the past 2 weeks, one attorney colleague has heard from at least five former clients who got these calls. The description is always the same. The caller will identify himself as a government official. The caller will proceed to tell you that they have a warrant for your arrest for bank fraud. You will be given an opportunity to pay an immediate cash settlement to avoid being arrested. These callers are thieves. They work out of telephone boiler rooms. Most are probably overseas, where they hide and avoid detection. The callers usually have a heavy foreign accent.

How Scam Bill Collectors Target You.
You are targeted because you had a bankruptcy case within the past 5 years. The caller ties to convince you that they are for real. To prove it, they will tell you your name. Your address. And the last four digits of your Social Security number. Your bankruptcy file is a public record. From that, they got your name, address, and the last part of your Social Security number. They will say that the non payment of your credit card debts was bank fraud. They will say that bankruptcy does not protect you. They will also say that you were duped by your bankruptcy lawyer. That your lawyer should have told you that you have committed crimes.

Unfortunately, we wouldn’t likely want to to sue them – it’s very difficult getting payment from a criminal. But please don’t pay them anything.