Phone call from 'Debt Advice Bureau'

lhead123

Sorry if this is in the wrong section.

I have now had 2 phone calls from someone claiming to be from the Debt Advice Bureau.....

When i pressured the guy with a very strong indian accent he got all flustered and started talking to someone in the background in indian and then said he was from the 'credit investigation bureau'. He would not give me a phone number for his company and directed me to debtadvice.org.uk to see who he was!

I have a little debt in the form of a credit card, overdraft and student loan...I'm not struggling to pay them, and have no need for a debt management company......

This guy was trying to tell me that the government has passed a law to reduce my interest rates down to zero to help me pay them off!

I am assuming this is a load of rubbish and will put the phone down on them if they try to phone again, but i wondered if anyone else had had a call from these people?

National_Debtline

Hello there,

It sounds like a cold call from a commercial company.

There are various laws that have been enacted over the years to help people with debts - for example insolvency legislation. Given what you've said I'm not certain that your situation would warrant investigating these routes. There certainly hasn't been anything major that has come along recently.

If you ever do start to struggle, there are charities such as the CAB, Stepchange and ourselves that can provide impartial, holistic and, above all, free help and advice.

Best wishes,

David @ NDL.

FireWyrm

lhead123 wrote: »

This guy was trying to tell me that the government has passed a law to reduce my interest rates down to zero to help me pay them off!

:rotfl:

lhead123 wrote: »

I am assuming this is a load of rubbish

Yes.

In short, do not use fee paying 'debt management' companies. They are the new financial sharks and quite a bit lower than double glazing salesmen in the pecking order. Dont believe a word they tell you. This is one of the slightly less outrageous lies, but a lie none the less. Ignore, or feel free to blow them a raspberry.

lhead123

Thank you both, I thought it was a load of poo, just thought I'd check on here in case they were actually legitimate. Next time they phone i'll politely tell them to f off

p.s. FireWyrm - Love that you have a filofax checkout philofaxy if you haven't already x

FireWyrm

lhead123 wrote: »

p.s. FireWyrm - Love that you have a filofax checkout philofaxy if you haven't already x

Hi, thanks. I have been there and printed all sorts of useful stuff off.

englishwhistler

We've had two calls from "Debt Advise" now - someone called Jennifer with a strong Indian accent. Ask for their address and they hang up. How rude? Don't even leave their number for me either to call them back to take them up on their services.

bingo87

I've just had a call from "Scott" with a strong Indian accent, from the UK Debt Management Team, asking me if I have any debts - loans, mortgage, credit card, and when I said no, insisted that I did in fact - I apparently had an outstanding loan from Barclays for £1750. He told me he was checking the credit databases (I was struggling to hear and understand him, so I couldn't catch exactly what he said).

Firstly, I've never used Barclays, so I told him his information was wrong. He then mentioned Lloyds/TSB (who I have used in the past, but not for a loan).

Seems to me like a fishing expedition. The number was revealed though - a Manchester one 0161 8266 396.

I googled the UK Debt Management Team - no website.

He was very insistent that I did have an outstanding loan, which is the only thing that concerns me - could someone else have taken one out in my name, without me knowing anything about it? Or is it just a technique they use to keep people talking and interested?

Kate_fixing_it

I have the ability to block numbers on my mobile, the calls are still logged but it doesn't ring. Yesterday there were SEVEN different numbers on the list - all these people where I have previously answered and immediately blocked them, well worth doing if you can.

Not one of them can answer any "security questions" I ask them!

I always try to be polite as the person calling is just trying to earn a living - could be the only job they could get - and it's the company that I have the issue with. But it does make me laugh that if I ask about the fee for their services they claim it's free but when pressed about if they are a non-profit organisation they can't answer me!

Kate x

FireWyrm

bingo87 wrote: »

He told me he was checking the credit databases

My response to this begins with the letter 'B' and rhymes with rollocks.

bingo87 wrote: »

Firstly, I've never used Barclays, so I told him his information was wrong. He then mentioned Lloyds/TSB (who I have used in the past, but not for a loan).

Sorry, but why are you discussing your personal financial affairs with some voice on the telephone?

I'm sure you were taken in, but this is because we are far too trusting and willing to conform to authority. DO NOT DISCUSS YOUR FINANCIAL AFFAIRS OVER THE PHONE, to anyone, unless it is the bank and you have called them (not they called you). The less people do this, the less they fall for the scams that get your PIN and other identification details to be used by those engaged in fraud.

bingo87 wrote: »

Seems to me like a fishing expedition. The number was revealed though - a Manchester one 0161 8266 396.

Yes it was. No 'seems' about it. It was the same sort of rubbish as the men from the 'gas board' who came to talk about your 'bills and how you can reduce them' etc.

bingo87 wrote: »

I googled the UK Debt Management Team - no website.

No.

bingo87 wrote: »

He was very insistent that I did have an outstanding loan, which is the only thing that concerns me

Why?

bingo87 wrote: »

- could someone else have taken one out in my name, without me knowing anything about it?

Possibly, but I doubt some bloke in India knows the particulars of it. If you are concerned, check your credit reference files, which is something you ought to be doing regularly anyway, as a matter of security.

bingo87 wrote: »

Or is it just a technique they use to keep people talking and interested?

Yes.

bingo87

Firewyke

thanks. I don't normally give out private details, financial or otherwise, but I did mention I hadn't ever used Barclays and followed it up with telling him that I was going to contact the police because obviously fraudulent activity had taken place, and would pass on his details as he seemed to know all about it.

I never commented about the Lloyds/TSB account to him.

I do agree with you - I don't give out any information on the telephone to strangers, but it's surprising how much information people will divulge with a little prodding (I've done telesales myself).

FireWyrm

bingo87 wrote: »

I do agree with you - I don't give out any information on the telephone to strangers, but it's surprising how much information people will divulge with a little prodding (I've done telesales myself).

Oh yes...and this is the problem. Today, you just got a little loose lipped with a telesales mule, but what if it had been someone intent on committing fraud? This is why you should never even allow yourself to be drawn into the conversation in the first place. I know this is hard to do, and we're all conditioned to be polite, but the real answer you should have given was "goodbye" and put the phone down. People get themselves scammed precisely because they start answering these questions and dont stop to consider whether they would be quite so forthcoming with some bloke in the street who asked you the same questions.

The golden rule is : never discuss private matters with some voice on the phone no matter who they are. Ever.