AIBU?
AIBU to think that I can just ignore this?
goldrobin24 · 07/11/2018 00:55
Hi there,
I’m really sorry to post in aibu but I truly genuinely am so desperate for help, it’s making me unwell. If there’s somewhere better to post HQ please can you help me & move the thread? Thank you!
I’ve recently been away from work for a few weeks and have come back to many voicemails from this company. An electronic voice stating it is Cabot financial. As of yet I haven’t been at my desk when they have called.
I have since googled this & I have no debt that I am aware of at all.
Ive checked my credit score & it is fine, nothing out standings
I have a credit card with one bank which is all up to date, and then a current account (with overdraft) and credit card with another bank that I’ve had for approx 6 months. Again all up to date I do have minimal debts on there but am paying off more than the minimum payment so can’t be from that.
I don’t want to answer them or get into conversation with them at all following on from what I’ve read but I’m heavily concerned about why they would be calling me. With my work number, it’s not something that’s in the public domain, nor have I ever given it out to anyone or used it at all online so I don’t understand why they would be contacting it.
I am too too scared to answer the phone if they call as I’m aware they will then be able to confirm I am me if I am somehow the person they are looking for & it’s possible that I could face disciplinary action as my work place will think I’ve given my number out for personal use.
I still live at home with my parents after uni so haven’t ever had a loan or anything like that. All I can think is that maybe somehow the bills for electricity or water etc at uni went wrong but I know we paid everything Off when we left, and triple checked it. and as all those companies have my email address I’m sure they’d have contacted me? Trying to think of anything else it could possibly be but I truly cannot recall anything that this could be about.
But if I speak to them I feel I’m opening a whole huge can of worms...
What do I do in this situation?
aibu to be terrified about what this could be?
Please help me!!!
Thanks so so much in advance.
goldrobin24 · 07/11/2018 00:58
@antihop
Thank you for your reply!
No it’s just an automated voice message that says this is a call from Cabot financial. If you are free now click one. This is a call from Cabot financial, you can call us back on..... and then there’s just silence & it hangs up.
As I haven’t been at work for any of the calls I haven’t had chance but also now too scared to even go down that route as I know if they’re looking for me somehow & I confirm it is me they will be so relentless.
goldrobin24 · 07/11/2018 01:02
@HJE17 thank you for your reply!
This is what I thought at first until I googled it & apparently it’s a company that buys debt from other companies & then chases it.
I just don’t understand though I really don’t have any debt that this could be from.
Being dramatic but now doubting my entire existence. I’m early twenties but now making up scenarios in my head where I had a store card or something years ago but I know I definitely didn’t.
My credit score is all fine & there’s not any defaults or anything on there so I don’t understand what this is but I’m also scared to ignore incase they take it any further!
I am struggling to sleep and function with this on my shoulders as I am so concerned
CantSleepClownsWillEatMe · 07/11/2018 01:06
First off, if you're concerned there might be an issue with receiving these messages to your work number tell your manager now. Just be breezy about it: "I've got lots of what sounds like automated messages from this company, do we do business with them".
As regards answering one of the calls I think you're overthinking it. If you're at the desk and the call comes through take it. You don't have to confirm any details at all, just ask who they are and what the call is regarding.
SuperstarDJ · 07/11/2018 01:06
If they haven’t asked for you by name, it sounds like a spam/scam call especially as it’s an automated message. Your level of anxiety in relation to this is concerning though especially as you havent done anything wrong. Have you spoken to your GP in relation to anxiety?
CantSleepClownsWillEatMe · 07/11/2018 01:10
I agree with SuperstarDJ you seem to be overly anxious about this. Try not to wind yourself up, for all you know your employer owes money or your predecessor gave out that number.
goldrobin24 · 07/11/2018 01:11
@CantSleepClownsWillEatMe
Thank you for your reply. That’s a good shout I think & I will approach it from that angle.
I suppose I didn’t think about the fact that I don’t have to confirm any info to them if I do answer. That’s a good point thank you!
@superstarDJ thank you for your reply. I really hope it is that but from what I’ve read I’m just not sure. Yes I have previously spoken to my GP regarding anxiety thank you. I tend to suffer quite badly with stuff like this & end up thinking of approx 601 impossible/heavily unlikely scenarios which I then panic myself with! I have had CBT for it but especially when there’s nobody in real life to talk something over with my mind goes into overdrive! Thank you for your concern I appreciate ir
Bosabosa · 07/11/2018 01:12
They would write to you at your home address if there was a legal issue / debt issue.
I know someone who actually did rack up huge debts and it was all by letter (they did sometimes call too but they needed it in writing to prove they had contacted her so they could progress pursuing the debt).
If it is a genuine debt, why would they be calling you at work and not at home? How would they have traced a potential uni debt to your work rather than your home address?
It would be a human being too not a recorded message if genuine in my opinion.
I would ignore and wait for them to write to you (if this is indeed a genuine debt issue- which I doubt).
Please don’t worry, this sounds like scammers or people looking to sell you something. They may not even be the company they claim to be.
You could always tell your work that you are getting unsolicited calls at work/ maybe they could block the number?
goldrobin24 · 07/11/2018 01:13
I’ve had a really tough time this year with numerous horrible big life events happening so I think I’m constantly on edge waiting for the next thing to happen, naturally in my head I guess this could be it.
Thank you for the concern though I appreciate it. Will do my best to remain calm
goldrobin24 · 07/11/2018 01:16
@bosabosa thank you so much for your reply.
I guess that does make sense. I’ve definirely received no written communication but I suppose it could have gone to my old address as I’m sure the next set of students wouldn’t have passed it on. Hopefully not though.
What you’re saying totally makes sense though thank you very much.
Will definitely approach it from that angle with work.
Thanks again for your kind message
ferrier · 07/11/2018 01:16
If they're chasing you for a genuine debt then they will have to put it in writing. Ignore the phone calls.
goldrobin24 · 07/11/2018 01:19
@ferrier thank you so much for your mmuch safe!
This does make sense.
My only concern is what if they are sending letters to my old address so I’m not getting them?
I feel this is highly doubtful because we did pay everything off & I left that address in 2016 so actually it’s probably not possible but there is a small seed of doubt in my brain.
Thank you again
ferrier · 07/11/2018 01:20
If you've moved house and haven't told people that you owe money to
(a) do that now
(b) next time they ring get them to tell you who they are chasing the debt on behalf of, the address to write to and a reference number .... If it's genuine they will be able to supply all this. Do not give out either your old or your new address.
goldrobin24 · 07/11/2018 01:20
@ferrier *thank you for your message! Not sure what happened there sorry.
goldrobin24 · 07/11/2018 01:22
Thanks for your reply @ferrier!
As far as I know there’s nobody that I owI money to but I suppose I could call the energy/water suppliers tomorrow to speak to them and check.
I will ask that info thank you!
ferrier · 07/11/2018 01:25
It doesn't sound like it's genuine though. Can you get in touch with your old address and see if anything has been delivered there?
CantSleepClownsWillEatMe · 07/11/2018 01:26
Do not give out either your old or your new address Yes and also (probably goes without saying) don't confirm any other personal information eg date of birth. Companies may ask you to confirm personal info so they can be sure you're, well, you but you want to to be sure who they are first if that makes sense.
Bosabosa · 07/11/2018 01:30
If they tracked you to your work number, they could write to you at the work address. That would be reasonable if this is a legitimate company calling you.
Please don’t worry- this isn’t about you or anything you have done. It is a scam trying to catch people on the backfoot to make them more compliant.
I nearly fell for a trick the other day over the phone. It is so easy to do.
Good luck,
Try not to worry
notangelinajolie · 07/11/2018 01:47
If you genuinely don't know what this is about then you should just ignore. IGNORE it if it has nothing to do with you. Why are you even worrying about it? It is someone else's problem.
SadieContrary · 07/11/2018 02:00
I'd call them. Once my SIL married my DB our names became almost identical like Susie/Suzanne +Surname. We'd both lived at my DM's at one point hence sharing of address and it was a crossover of our files. Was an easy fix
SadieContrary · 07/11/2018 02:03
Posted too soon. Could be a genuine mix up. Or your number could be one digit off the person they're trying to reach.
If you're so sure you have no debt then answer, put them straight, thus ending the calls and your anxiety.
TuMeke · 07/11/2018 02:05
Logically, if they only had your old address and we’re writing to you there and you weren’t receiving the letters, how would they then also have your current work number? The answer is - they wouldn’t. If they had managed to track you to your work number (which, as it is not publicly available is vanishingly unlikely), they would also have managed to find out your current address, and would be writing to you there. And they’re not. And as PP have noted, if you had some secret surprise debt that needed recovering, a human would be trying to contact you by name,, not an anonymous machine. Stop panicking! The chances are this is a scam. The most generous guess would be that your work number used to belong to someone else who did have a debt, but either way, as everyone else suggests, just ignore it.
Oliversmumsarmy · 07/11/2018 02:09
If your credit file is clear then either the debt is over 6 years old so even if you did owe anything the company couldn’t do anything anyway.
Also if you do owe anything credit/loan type debt then make sure you get a copy of your original signed agreement.
They can’t do anything without that because that says what your terms were.
plaidlife · 07/11/2018 02:22
Honestly this sounds like junk, if it is a work number give work the details of the call and don't stress.
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