Got Debt? Here's How to Tell the Difference Between Real Vs. Scam Debt Collector Calls!

Living in debt has, unfortunately, become a way of life for a lot of people. At the moment, the average American is walking around with almost $40,000 in personal debt, not including a mortgage.

If you have a lot of debt and aren't always able to keep up with your debt payments, you might start receiving calls from debt collectors at one time or another. These debt collectors are in charge of trying to get you to pay the money you owe to your creditors.

You might also start receiving scam debt collector calls from scammers who pose as debt collectors. These people will often try to take advantage of those who are in debt by confusing them and getting them to send money their way, even though they don't have anything to do with their actual debts.

It's important for you to be able to tell the difference between real and scam debt collector calls. Here are some of the signs that'll show you're dealing with scam debt collector calls as opposed to real ones.

You're Subjected to Verbal Abuse and Harassment

All debt collectors—including both real ones and scammers—have earned a reputation for being verbally abusive in some instances when speaking with people who have failed to pay off debts. They're known to raise their voices and to speak forcefully when calling debtors.

With this in mind, you could very well be talking to a real debt collector if they lob a little bit of verbal abuse in your direction. But when you receive a scam debt collector call, the person you talk to will take the usual debt collector harassment to the next level.

Scammers will often go to great lengths to make you feel like you have no choice but to pay the money that you owe. They'll threaten to hit you with a lawsuit, call the police, and take other drastic measures to get you to pay up.

Real debt collectors will not take this approach. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) makes it illegal for them to do this.

You're Told That You Have to Pay Off a Debt Immediately

Debt collectors aren't always the nicest people in the world. But most of them are pretty reasonable and understand that you might not be able to pay off a huge debt in a day without any notice.

More often than not, debt collectors are happy to put you on some kind of payment plan to help you pay down the debt that you owe. They'll sometimes give you several repayment options and let you choose the one that will work best for you.

Scammers don't have this luxury. They want to get as much money from you as soon as they can, so they'll tell you that you have no choice but to pay them everything that you owe right away. Many will demand payment "today."

And if you refuse to pay them? That's when they'll double down on some of the threats that we mentioned a minute ago. They're willing to do whatever is necessary to get between you and your hard-earned money.

You're Only Given One Possible Payment Method

In addition to offering you different repayment options, legit debt collectors will also offer you at least a few different payment methods when you go to pay down part of or all of a debt. You'll be able to send a payment in through the mail, make a payment over the phone, or pay a debt off online.

Scammers won't provide you with this many payment method options. In fact, they'll typically offer just one option to you, and it'll usually be an option that helps them get their hands on your money quickly.

Most scammers will ask you to make a payment to them right over the phone by using a credit card. If you ask about making a payment in some other way, they won't allow you to do it.

You're Unable to Get a Debt Collector to Provide Their Name and Address

If you're even the slightest bit suspicious about who you might be talking to on the phone when a "debt collector" calls, ask them for their name, the name of their debt collection agency, and their address. Then, use the internet to make sure all the information matches up.

If the person on the other end of the phone won't give you their name and address or if the name and address they do give you aren't online, you might be getting scammed. You should avoid making any payments until you're able to do some additional digging around.

You're Asked to Call Your Original Creditor for Additional Information

When a debt collector calls you and asks you to pay back a debt, they need to be able to provide you with every last little bit of information regarding the debt. If they can't do this, it's a problem.

It's also a problem if they try to refer you back to your original creditor at any point to obtain information. Legitimate debt collection agencies won't ever tell you to get in touch with your original creditor for any reason.

If a debt collector tries to tell you that you need to call your original creditor, you're likely dealing with one of the many scam debt collector calls made every day.

Know How to Recognize Scam Debt Collector Calls Right From the Start

It's not always easy for people to recognize the difference between real and scam debt collector calls. When you're constantly fielding calls from debt collectors, they all start to sound the same.

The next time you receive a call from someone claiming to be a debt collector, see if you can spot any of the signs listed here. If you do, you could very well be speaking to a scammer as opposed to a legit debt collector.

Learn more about dealing with both debt and debt collectors by browsing through the informative articles on our blog.