The Better Business Bureau serving Southeast, Central & Western Kansas has been receiving phone calls from consumers throughout the State from people who are claiming to be connected with various agencies such as:
Bureau of Criminal Investigation
Federal Legislation of Unsecured Loans & Association
Various Law Firms
Collection type businesses
The caller has some how acquired much of the consumers personal information. We are not sure how they are getting this information: SSN, DOB, phone numbers, addresses, etc.
The consumer is told that they owe a debt and the caller tries to convince them to pay a settlement amount by debit card. The company tries to strong arm, threaten and cajole the consumer into paying.
It may vary that the consumer had a debt and paid it off; or the consumer does not have any debt so the callers try to create doubt.
The BBB is advising consumers not to give out any personal information over the phone, call our office first if you are unsure.
Start with trust
The FTC advises consumers to do the following:
Place a "Fraud Alert" on your credit reports, and review the reports carefully. The alert tells creditors to follow certain procedures before they open new accounts in your name or make changes to your existing accounts. The three nationwide consumer reporting companies have toll-free numbers for placing an initial 90-day fraud alert; a call to one company is sufficient:
*Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
*Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
*TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289
Placing a fraud alert entitles you to free copies of your credit reports. Look for inquiries from companies you haven't contacted, accounts you didn't open, and debts on your accounts that you can't explain.
Please feel free to contact the BBB office at 316-263-3146 for any questions and/or website at www.wichita.bbb.org.