Help required - Scotcall harrassing

debthedyer_2 · 29 July 2010 at 3:35PM

HI, I have absolutely no idea where I should be posting this question so I'm hoping if this is the wrong place a moderator can move it!

For the past couple of weeks I have been receiving daily texts to my phone from scotcall and bcw group plc.

The messages are identical in wordage, just the reference numbers are different. The problem is I have absolutely no idea what they are about!

"Hello, could Mrs * C*** please contact BCW Group PLC (or Scotcall) urgently on 0844 571 4270 (substitute alternative number for scotcall) quoting unique reference B********.( substitute number) Thank you"

My name is different to the one they are texting. I have no idea what the message is about, I have to my knowledge no outstanding debts that they could be chasing. A search on the internet indicates that both companies are debt collection agencies and not necessarily very pleasant. I have received no letters addressed to the person in the text.

My initial instinct was to ignore the texts as I do not know of them being for me (name different) but they are daily and annoying!

Is there a way of making them stop texting me - surely it classes as harrassment? Is there any way of finding out what is going on without having to get in touch with them and so making them think they have found the person they want?

Why can people do this?

Any help and advice gratefully received!

CHeers

mr.ton · 29 July 2010 at 3:40PM

Do not phone them & refuse to answer security questions if they phone you.
The cheeky sods expect you to call an 0844 number as well......
Apart from reporting them to every official authority you can think of - i can only think of getting your number changed as the obvious short term solution.

Tixy · 29 July 2010 at 3:44PM

Well I certainly wouldn't call them.

Probably the only thing you could do is to write to them giving the reference number and a copy of the text and saying that you are not this person and have never heard of them and that they must have the wrong phone number.

You could quote some OFT debt collection guidelines http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/consumer_credit/oft664.pdf such as the points is 2.8a and 2.6a.

If you did have debts but were not this person then I would be cynical and say they may be sending these to you so that you respond I'm not Mrs C I'm Mrs debthedyer. At which point they then have found you and start chasing you for your own debts. But as you have no debts I guess they have just got your mobile number by accident.

I'd also report them to the OFT as well.

LilacPixie · 29 July 2010 at 3:51PM

Are you Mrs C???

debthedyer_2 · 29 July 2010 at 4:15PM

Thanks for the advice - so far it sould seem that I do NOT call the number (I think its' a cheek to expect me to pay to phone them too, specially from a mobile!) I can find their address on the internet, maybe I should just write to them and ask them politely to go away, but if I give them my actual name they'll probably go and try and conjor up something maybe? No I am not Mrs C*** I am Miss B***** and have been for quite a while!

I do have their mobile number - is there a way of checking it out?

CHeers all

LilacPixie · 29 July 2010 at 4:29PM

The reason I am asking is I am having similar issues with my landline from fredericson international looking for a Miss M. I am not Miss M I am a Mrs A and before that I was a Miss G and before that I was a twinkle in my daddies eye. I am refusing to call them but it's doing my head in. they seem to call religiously just at the kids bedtime with the same recorded message. This is a SMS text message from frederikson international. Can Miss M please call XXXXXXXX urgently.