Fraud Alerts/PSAs
January 22, 2016: Don’t Compensate Crooks in Collection Agency Scam
Thieves posing as debt collectors are taking advantage of unsuspecting seniors.
The swindlers make cold calls and claim to represent a collection agency. They will make a variety of threats, including filing a lawsuit, unless payment is made.
They also will pester consumers repeatedly until a fee is paid via money transfer or a prepaid card. Making the scam even worse, the thieves will sell seniors’ information to other fraudulent groups to repeat the scheme once again.
TIPS:
- Check your accounts to see if you owe money
- Screen calls from collection agencies if you do not have any debts
- Report any false collection attempts to your local law enforcement agency
For more information on scams that target seniors, go to the Elder Abuse/Financial Fraud pages of the District Attorney’s website (http://da.lacounty.gov/seniors/financial-fraud) or https://vimeo.com/150942366.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of a scam, please contact the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs at (800) 593-8222 or visit http://dcba.lacounty.gov.
Follow @LADAOffice on Twitter for up-to-date news and use #FraudFriday.
