Debt collector contacted me about unknown Ionos account, how should I proceed?

[Cotswoldlife90]

Today I recieved a text message from a debt company on behalf of Ionos Cloud - a website domain company. Not a company ive heard of. I contacted the debt collector and they asked me to confirm my address...my current one ive had for 4 years wasnt correct nor was the one I was at 2 years before that correct. Because of this they were unable to shed any more light on the situation and said to contact Ionos. Well....they were fun 🫠 seeing as you can only really get help if you have account details. Managed to get through and he said I cant help without your login. I said i can provide email...well my email (which ive had for 18 years) showed no account. So what do I do? And how can I sort this mess out ?! The guy on the phone was so unhelpful.

Do not tell them anything, block all their numbers, it's a scam

Loads of companies sell on your data. I remember for years having very little if no scam calls (I had registered on this database where it made it a breach to nuisance call me - I can’t remember the name of it now!) fast forward to when I took out my first mortgage years later and all of a sudden calls after calls with my name, number, even address. It was either the bank, the broker or the insurance company that sold on my details.

Could well have someone of a similar name they are trying to track down. If they come back again stonewall. Say you have never had any relationship with Ionos. If there was no paper trail they cannot make up pay, nor would it stand up in court.

Do debt collectors usually text people? I wouldn't think so.

I know *king hell 🤦🏻‍♀️

Today I recieved a text message from a debt company

How do you know they were a debt company?? Please tell me there wasn't a link in that text and you clicked on it?

How to Report (Action Fraud & More)
Forward to 7726: Forward the text message to 7726. If you have an iPhone or Android, you can usually long-press the message and select 'forward'.
Report to Action Fraud: If you have lost money or provided personal details, report it to Action Fraud online or call 0300 123 2040.

Just saw this.

Telephone Preference Service. The Royal Mail do a postal version where it stops all junk/spam post. They do work!

https://www.bt.com/help/security/all-about-the-telephone-preference-service--tps-

help.royalmail.com/personal/s/article/How-to-opt-out-of-advertising-mail

Thats the one!

Why are you responding to a scam they wouldn't text you for a start

I worked in the debt industry for a year. It is corrupt and rotten to the heart. These companies buy up huge bundles of old debts and then may speculatively contact people with a similar name/address and try to scam them into paying up. It is not a good idea to contact them by phone. As PP upthread have pointed out they often have premium rate "help" lines. Insist upon all communciation being in writing.

Remember that debt cxollectors have no more power to make you pay up than I have!

You should write to them disputing the debt and requiring absolute proof. Its not for you to prove that you do NOT have a debt. Rather for them to prove that you HAVE. Websites like Money Supermarket are good at advising people on hs r proceed with these gangsters, They have template letters you can copy. Or ask an AI to generate a template letter for you. Then forget about it.

It a good idea to also check your credit report to see if they have left a marker on it.

Just to add that if the supposed debt is more than 6 years old and this is the first you've heard about it - even if you do owe the money - its probably statute barred and unenforceable anyway. Google will tell you all about that.

Well it's on your radar now. Don't give anything else.

Like others have said it's a scam scam scam scam

I had a scam text last week pretending to be a bank I did not bank with saying that there was a payment of over £700 made to British Airways. I just ignored and deleted it as it did not match up with any of my card numbers.