Debt Collectors Different Strategy

FedupBrit

Hi Folks,

I've read the threads suggesting you send the "prove it" letter when recieving a letter/demand (£4,500) in our case for a debt that isn't yours. But we've tried that, and they're refusing to provide any information about this debt.

The only information they've provided is that the account was created in 2001. So we resonded and said we didn't move here until 2015. Check the land registry. Then they said "Prove where you lived in 2001". Our response: clearly this is fraud, we're not giving you any official paperwork from 2001.

Then they said get in touch with Action Fraud and give us the reference number. So we did, and Action Fraud said there was nothing whatsoever linking us to any debt.

Now the debt collector is ignoring everything and stating we have to log on to their site and provide proof of address from 23 years ago. We did make a phone call, got the guy to admit it must be fraud, but they're now saying they have no record of the call.

Now they're sending a 'agent' out to "Confirm out address and put us in touch with the client". I do have a demand letter stating the 2001 account creation, and I've taken pictures of the land registry alongside the letter in such a way thet they can't be used for fraud if I'm caught on the doorstep, but I'm getting kinda angry with all of this, and don't really want to open the door. They have nothing legal to back them up, no trail, wont even tell us who the account was with, and seem to want to trick us into taking responsibility for this debt.

Debt management company is OPOS and ACI (the latest). Also wondering if it's scammers pretending to be them.

Sorry for the long email. Advice greatly appreciated.

born_again

Debt collectors do not go to action fraud..

Even if someone turns up, do not open door, do not engage.

Grumpelstiltskin

If someone does knock at your door you have two choices, either ignore them or go to the door and tell them to go away. They are no different to a salesman knocking at your door. They have no authority.

Just ignore them they are just trying to scare you into paying something to them.

fatbelly

May bw worth a complaint

https://www.aciuk.co.uk/complaints

You can escalate a complaint to CSA and FOS.

Or just ignore till they go away and harrass someone else

FedupBrit

Thanks for the replies. Just a clarification for @born_again as you may have misread what I posted, but they themselves said I should go to Action Fraud and get a reference number, and when we did they ignored the results and said they had no record of our phone call. They only said we should go to them as they were stumped when I asked how I could have created an account/debt in 2001 when I didn't move here until 2015.

The client is Capquest Recovery Ltd. I've found other posts here that say they often send out these letters when they can't trace the original person, and hope the new resident of the property will bite and take ownership of the debt. So assuming it's that.

fatbelly

Yes, that seems most likely. Not called Crapquest for nothing.

born_again

Ah. Right. Yep misread. 

Not that action fraud would do anything other than log the issue.

This would be statute barred anyway after 6 years.

So you could simply stop engaging with them. No one is going to turn up.

FedupBrit

born_again said:

Ah. Right. Yep misread. 

Not that action fraud would do anything other than log the issue.

This would be statute barred anyway after 6 years.

So you could simply stop engaging with them. No one is going to turn up.

Yeah, just for the benefit of anyone else reading this - Action Fraud will not do anything for you. Even when I sent them a copy of out Land Registry and asked if they could just be a third party and confirm we could not have created this account in 2001, they just responded with a boilerplate answer that "We can find no information that on this debt" which was then interpreted by Crapquest (heh) as  "Well you still need to prove it to us".

Thanks again for the replies. I will update if anything informative happens this week if or when they are due to visit.

FedupBrit

Just to update for anyone else in a similiar situation: nobody turned up. So this was not my family member's debt. I think it was the former house occupier and the debt company switched the name, and then tried to get us to engage with them to trick us into taking ownership of the debt.

The letters, tricks, and threats of visits are just attempted intimidation. Thanks again to all answers here. Seems the Brits only have themselves to rely on these days.