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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think they shouldn't keep calling me for someone else's debt?

27 replies

Greywalls12 · 18/07/2019 17:25

Mainly posting for traffic.
I've been getting calls from various debt collection companys, quoting my dads name and a reference number.
I'm not sure if these debts are my dads or not, I'm 99% sure they're not, but I don't understand why they would have my dads name if their not.
My dad says they're absolutely not his, and him and my DM have just been approved for a mortgage on an additional house, so surely something would show on the credit check if it was his/theirs?

I've never taken out a loan so not entirely sure, but surely they also need your address etc for credit checks and would send letters, which my DM would definitely know about as she opens all the post!

I have called the companies various times and quoted the reference number, however they won't talk to me or take my number off their list as I'm not my dad/a male.

AIBU to think either;
A) my dad has secret debts and put my phone number down
Or B) the debt collection agencies are just trying to get money any way they can

Has anyone had experience with this? And how do I make them stop calling me? I get at least 3 a day, including texts and voicemails!! I do get a lot of scam calls in general, so this may be why?

Thank you if you've read this far!

OP posts:
PanamaPattie · 18/07/2019 17:28

I would just ignore them. Not your name or debt. Don't engage and certainly never call them. It's probably a fishing call or letter, someone with your Dad's name has a debt. Block and ignore.

pinkoneblueone · 18/07/2019 17:35

I would speak to your dad in private and double check tbh as it's a bit convenient that the person they are chasing has the same name. Does your dad ever bet?

Original poster
Greywalls12 · 18/07/2019 17:37

@pinkoneblueone no not at all, as far as I'm aware. Has his own business, DM does the accounts etc. Nothing suspicious

OP posts:
pinkoneblueone · 18/07/2019 17:44

It's still super odd that they have the name right he may have put your name down as a guarantor and that may be why they are calling

Original poster
Greywalls12 · 18/07/2019 17:55

But surely they would be saying my name rather than his?

OP posts:
flouncyfanny · 18/07/2019 17:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Greywalls12 · 18/07/2019 18:02

No letters to me or him.
It would be super inconvenient unfortunately!

OP posts:
Tinkety · 18/07/2019 18:02

I had letters addressed to my DM sent to my house chasing debt for parking tickets even though my DM has never driven in her life & has never even held a licence. My DM was worried that perhaps someone had stolen her identity but it turned out the tickets belonged to someone else with the same name & DOB has my DM & the debt collection agency had mixed them up. To this day though we don’t know how or why it got linked to my address when DM has never lived here & is on the electoral register at her address.

DontCallMeShitley · 18/07/2019 18:06

Debt companies will harass someone with the same name as a debtor if they either can't find the correct person, or can't get them to pay, in the hope that the other person will pay up out of fear or thinking they actually owe the money.

They also will find someone with the same initials and do the same.

Tell them to send proof of the debt, and all the details of it, if there is such a debt attached to your fathers records. Also tell them to check that they have the correct 'Mr. John Smith'.

If they keep on then send a letter stating that further communication will be considered as harassment and action will be taken.

This all assumes that the debt is not his, of course.

Mintjulia · 18/07/2019 18:10

No letters? Nothing in writing - I’d just block the numbers, it isn’t your debt so sounds like.a scam to me.

resipsa · 18/07/2019 18:13

You have to 'prove' a debt to enforce it through legal action. Tell them this. Either they can or can't provide evidence.

Original poster
Greywalls12 · 18/07/2019 18:14

Definitely nothing in writing and mum opens all hers and my dads post so she would definitely know if there was.

I'll continue to ignore, thank you!

OP posts:
AnchorDownDeepBreath · 18/07/2019 18:15

I get this for the guy who used to have my phone number. It's been mine for four years. They won't stop calling. I explained many times; twice they said they couldn't remove my number without me giving them a new one to call, and now I just block the callers.

In this case; your dad must have given your number somewhere for your number to be linked to him, but if he says these debts aren't his and they aren't writing to you or showing on your credit file; I'd act the same as if they were calling for a stranger.

MRex · 18/07/2019 18:46

They may have found you by searching on the electoral roll and it's debt belonging to someone else with his name? If they won't talk to you then block their numbers. Without a letter I'd have to assume they were a scam anyway.

GeorgiaGirl52 · 18/07/2019 19:21

My father died twelve years ago and I still get phone calls and mail to him at my address (which is a new build that did not exist during his lifetime!) Once the scammers have a name on a list they sell the list over and over again. Don't waste time trying to get it removed. Just ignore.

Littlemissdaredevil · 18/07/2019 19:24

It might someone has the same name as him who has the debts. There is a person with the same name as me who lives nearby who comes up in the bankruptcy search when I bought a house.

If the call I would confirm that you are not the debtor and this is not the debtors number and tell them to delete your number from those systems

Frankola · 18/07/2019 20:03

Block the numbers Grin

OnlyLittleMissOrganised · 18/07/2019 20:08

Tell them that you are not the person they need to contact and under GDPR regulations if they do not remove your number from the records then you will call the information commissioning watchdog to report the fact they are breaching data protection regulations.

CacenCrunch · 19/07/2019 09:28

Block and don't answer the phone if it's an unknown number

NinjaInFluffyPJs · 19/07/2019 09:37

I would recommend to check his credit file. Identity fraud is no fun and it can go undetected for a while.
Did you google the numbers? Are they legit?

BarbaraofSeville · 19/07/2019 09:44

All three of you should join the moneysavingexpert credit club to check all your credit files for free to see if there is anything untoward on there.

It sounds like a simple mistake or they are targetting all the people of the same name in the hope of finding the right one. Or someone has used his phone number in an attempt to get the debt collectors off their back.

If the debt is genuinely not your DFs, then they can't make him pay.

JaceLancs · 19/07/2019 09:55

It does happen they will search for someone and hit on you if have same name or similar
Has happened to me with ex DP eg John Williams and John Williamson - we were easily able to prove not same person and eventually they went away presumably to try and find the errant debtor
I’m lucky in that I have a very unusual surname and when combined with first name there are no others at least in UK so it’s never happened to me - downside is I’m easy to find on google searches etc!

Rainbowknickers · 19/07/2019 10:02

My sister in law had this
They sent the debt letters to say Jane doe and her name was Jane doee
She’d never lived in the address they claimed the debt had been run up-she’d never lived near the street let alone in it
They really hounded her and in the end she got advice from CAB and it took about a year but they did leave her alone in the end

NeonLights · 19/07/2019 10:50

Next time they call you block the number they are calling from.

Fcukthisshit · 19/07/2019 12:02

Check your credit report - if there’s anything linked to you it will show up on there, then either change your number or every time you get a call, tell them they’ve got the wrong number.