We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum... Read More »
Fake Bailiffs
fatbelly
Posts: 22,685 Forumite
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cglywyjg0kwo
The general rule with bailiffs is that they cannot force entry for a debt
So if anyone contacts you alleging they are a bailiff, you need to block them and do your research. Anything that seems less than genuine should be flagged up to the police who you would hope would take it seriously
In most genuine cases, blocking them to the point the debts go back to the original creditor is a good tactic anyway
In this case the fees alleged could not have been correct, the wording was muddled and the court reference was absent, but the scammers may well become more convincing
The general rule with bailiffs is that they cannot force entry for a debt
So if anyone contacts you alleging they are a bailiff, you need to block them and do your research. Anything that seems less than genuine should be flagged up to the police who you would hope would take it seriously
In most genuine cases, blocking them to the point the debts go back to the original creditor is a good tactic anyway
In this case the fees alleged could not have been correct, the wording was muddled and the court reference was absent, but the scammers may well become more convincing
7
Comments
-
They give you a number to call the court but it isn't the court, it's them and they have recorded the court automatic response to play to make them sound authentic0
-
Horrific. And yes, you can absolutely see why someone would be panicked into paying, particularly if they don't know enough of the way enforcement actually works to spot the issues with it.🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her0 -
You would think anyone going to the bother of doing that would also get the errors tidied up.FlorayG said:They give you a number to call the court but it isn't the court, it's them and they have recorded the court automatic response to play to make them sound authentic
The thing is that they probably will, and so become more difficult to spot.
It's in the interests of the bailiffs themselves to try to wipe this out. As things stand our advice has to be to assume they are fake until proved otherwise1 -
The thing is certain behaviour by some bailiff companies, does exceed their authority, so they could be mistaken for scammers quite easily.
Sometimes they sail so close to the wind its hard to tell the difference, so I would say fatbelly`s advice is spot on.
Really they only have themselves to blame, you reap what you sow, don`t you, if you`re going to employ bully boy tactics, is it any wonder scammers soon catch on.I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Debt free wannabe, Credit file and ratings, and Bankruptcy and living with it boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.For free non-judgemental debt advice, contact either Stepchange, National Debtline, or CitizensAdviceBureaux.Link to SOA Calculator- https://www.stoozing.com/soa.php The "provit letter" is here-https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2607247/letter-when-you-know-nothing-about-about-the-debt-aka-prove-it-letter0 -
HMCTS have posted (better late than never)
SCAM ALERT: Fraudsters impersonating court bailiffs and enforcement officers are targeting the public with fake phone calls. We never use automated messages. Impersonating enforcement agents is a crime. Hang up and follow our guidance
https://t.co/xXuAQHz00J0
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 350.1K Banking & Borrowing
- 252.8K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 453.1K Spending & Discounts
- 243.1K Work, Benefits & Business
- 597.5K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 176.5K Life & Family
- 256.1K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards