I got the wierdest phone call ...

[donna723]

... from a collection agency that was looking for my son-in-laws father! I didn't answer because I didn't recognize the number so they left this long message on my answering machine. How on earth did they ever get MY name and phone number? They must really be grasping at straws! But how did they ever connect him to me??? The man lives 600 miles away and I haven't even seen him in years! What kind of research could they possibly have done or what data base could they consult that would bring up MY name in a search for my daughter's father-in-law????

sister in law's father is a real piece of work! They have nothing to do with him. There are still legal proceedings going on about him trying to get what was left to sister in law and his brother when their mom died. Other than seeing him once or twice in the company of lawyers, they haven't even talked to him in two or three years. He's still living in the house that was left to sister in law and his brother by their mom when she died almost three years ago. And even though he lives in the same town and knows that his only grandchild was born over two years ago, he's never seen him, never made a move to contact them to see if he was OK, never even asked about him. I wouldn't put anything past him!

I really don't understand how collection agencies work but this whole thing about them calling MY house is almost creepy. It brought back a lot of bad memories of those places calling my house looking for my son after his father had run up a bunch of bills using my son's name and social security number after we divorced. It just really bothers me! I called my daughter and asked about it - turns out they got a call from the same place! But just to be safe, they're going to check with the credit bureaus to make sure there's nothing on there that's not supposed to be. The whole thing is just wierd!!! Does anybody know how this stuff works?

 

[witzend]

It's probably not a collection agency. It's more likely a private investigator or detective looking for sister in law's dad and they found your name in a wedding announcement or other published information. Did you google the phone number?

 

[KTMom91]

Quite a few of the online people search sites have a "connected to this person" column. Scary how much of our info, that should be private, is floating around out there.

 

[donna723]

Would a "connected to" column go that far though? It would have to go from him to sister in law to my daughter to me! Seems like quite a stretch! sister in law is a police officer now. He may have some way of checking to see if he's been in some kind of trouble or something ...

And the call came from a toll-free number. I couldn't get it to come up on any of the search sites.

 

[Hound dog]

Yes donna, it would go that far.

When easy child and sister in law were dealing with that loan they co-signed for I got a call from the collection agency. sister in law is actually the one who did the co-signing.

When I let the message go on to the machine (which has long since died) I got mad. So I called them back and gave them a healthy piece of my mind. They're not to give out any info at all, it's against the law, they can be sued. I never had them call me back though.

I've had others for other people that I don't even know just because they have a similar last name, or one like my maiden name. Which is one of the reasons I no longer answer numbers I don't know.

 

[Mattsmom277]

He might have used you as a reference or contact number for lack of anybody to use, thinking at the time he'd have no reason to cause them to call you and get you upset at the presumption it was okay at all to leave your number. I know my mother does pay day loans against her pension (drives me nuts!). She moves from place to another, juggling the interest on a payment by taking out another loan from some place different in order to keep solvent after forking over payment to place #1, and so on. She's banned thankfully from all but one of the more than dozen in this town. (I wish they'd outlaw those places!) Anyhow, when registering at these places, they have asked her for up to 5 contacts in case she doesn't show up to pay up. She always figured nobody would get a call, I mean of course she'd pay them. And she doesn't HAVE 5 people SHE can call in her own life, let alone offer names for. Who knows what people not close at all to her had their numbers down because she only had my brother and I close at that time of her life. No other friends, coworkers, family. Nobody. So 3 people for sure were plucked from a non-role of my mothers life, because it was a means to the end: the pay day loan. Perhaps this guy (who sounds like no prize!) was pulling at straws to come up with contact names, and threw your name on something because he was desparate and didn't figure you'd ever learn of it? Makes a warped kind of sense. And explains why they are calling you.

I'd call them back or I'd be sure to pick up when they try you back. Tell them there is NO relationship, not even contact from him and you. That you never even in the past had a relationship with him (familial or friends) and would never authorize your number be connected to any business dealings or financial stuff of his. Tell them to remove your name and contact info from their computer files AND their paper files and any forms he listed you on. Then if you know where he's living, pass that on to them and tell them to never call you again.

Somethings weird here. I'd say it is that he put your name somewhere, easy to do and happens every day. I'd be livid.

 

[nvts]

What you can do is google the phone number that they called from. There's a collection agency out there that is doing this type of stuff left and right and in NY they're in some deep trouble. When you google the number, there are sights that have comments from people who have investigated these calls - you'll see who it is.

Very intrusive - it really is!

Beth

 

[keista]

I've received a similar call looking for my soon to be ex's son from previous marriage. Was super creepy since the kid is a sexual predator. Sorry you got a call too, but glad I'm not alone now.

 

[DammitJanet]

I got a call from a collection agency looking for someone I didnt even know and when I told them it must have been whoever had my number before I got it, they got all huffy with me and accused me of lying. I got huffy back and told them they were calling me on a cell phone and that was illegal and this was there first and final notice that a. I wasnt their client, b. I was telling them to stop calling me and C, they were calling me on a cell phone....and I hung up. I never heard another word.

 

[Shari]

Dex and I have been divorced 8 years. I get calls for his current debts all the time.
And husband's sister. Not sure how they tied us together, but they did. And called quite a bit for a while. We don't even answer the house phone anymore. 95% of the calls are looking for dex. I just shut the ringer off.

 

[TerryJ2]

Sigh. I agree with-the others, you can find pretty much anything online.
So sorry they dragged his mess into your life.
Delete.

 

[Marcie Mac]

If you do a Zabasearch , names, addresses, ages, relatives and people who may be relativeswill come up. Its how I found SO's youngest boy via his X who has married (numerous times) and had different last names.

You know, everytime you take out a loan, or apply for some kind of credit, and they ask you the name of three "references" or friends, that info pops up on databases ad naseum Not to mention he is probably on your credit reports from a marriage eon's ago

Marcie

 

[AnnieO]

My parents still occasionally get collection/location calls for my xh.

I've gotten calls for husband... NO WAY they could have gotten my number except through BM. One I did pick up was very rude and informed me that YES I WAS husband (um, I'm definitely female and I've yet to meet a female with husband's first name...), then gave me the amount outstanding and threatened to put ME in JAIL because I wouldn't admit I KNEW husband (Um wait, thought I WAS him?)... And then got really upset when I told him he had just given out a lot of information that he was not allowed to give out BY LAW. I told him if his company EVER called my CELL PHONE again, I'd sue...

 

[CrazyinVA]

I used to get calls every few years looking for my oldest brother, who owes money on some SC student loans from the early 90s. In fact, it's about time they called me again, it's been 4 or 5 years since I heard from them I wish them luck in finding him, since I have no contact with him (although he does have a Facebook page these days, on which he posts a nonsensical rant every few months when he can get to a computer to post).

When creditors used to call me looking for Oldest, I'd tell them (1) stop calling me, she didn't live there and (2) she owed me money too, and to go ahead and do whatever it is they had to do from a legal standpoint, becuase they'd probably never see any money out her, nor would I. That shut them up pretty quickly.

 

[Star*]

Here's a funny - cause you know how I can be.

After I paid off 20,ooo.oo of MY portion of $40,000.00 of the IRS innocent spouse relief (you know 13 years of marriage, me working THREE jobs and x's wonderful Mother doing our taxes cashing our checks - him working 1099)? and him stealing my credit with some ho' and running up nearly $60k in OUR name. Yeah nice - I'm homeless and he's got a 40k truck.

I finally got most of what I could paid off - and buy a house. It was so hard - and I worked three jobs AGAIN to do it. But FINALLY - A PLACE OF OUR OWN FOR ME AND DUDE. I even paid for my own divorce.

So imagine my absolute disgust - when some company sends a SPAM credit card offer to MY HOUSE - MY FLIPPIN house - paid for with MY sweat-my blood, my tears addressed to THAT MORON. OMG I was literally over the moon, and back again. It just went over me like I can't even tell you. So! I copied the name, and then BURNED the letter and it's contents to complete ash. Charred! Then I wrote a letter to that company and said that SATAN didn't live at this address, that I did, I bought the house, I paid for the house and that worthless demonic entity did NOT live there - he lived in hell and if they thought they could get their advertisment to him there? Send it but do not ever EVER send a single OTHER thing to MY HOME with HIS name on it ever again - and then I sent the chared remnamts of the mail, my letter and his name with MY ADDRESS crossed out in red pen back to them.

I got a letter of apology in the mail about 3 weeks later - stating that they appreciated my letter, took Mr. So and So off their mailing list and rest assured I wouldn't be getting any further correspondence from them EVER again.

To this day - 12 years? I haven't gotten a SINGLE letter addressed to him here.

 

[Shari]

difficult child 1's bio maternal figure had a phone installed in her house in his name when he was 2. (he worked construction then, according to the app. hard working boy, he was....) She racked up a grand or so, then it got cut off for non-payment. They send a letter every few years trying to collect, and have since he was about 9....