Is this harrasment or a scam?

Stercus Accidit

Say a debt collectors agency had sent two letters to an elderly woman requesting money, they are accusing her of owing some debt related to an ebay account (she has never had an ebay account or paypal account) and are asking for money.

She rang after the first letter and told them the same, that she does not owe anyone any money regarding ebay or paypal.

She has since received a second letter, still requesting money.

The only details in the letter are her name and address (easily acquired) and some ebay username (associated with one failed sale having looked them up) which is nothing to do with the woman being accused of owing money.


Is this some sort of scam? I would like to know what this person could do to prevent this crowd contacting them again, if they continue to send letters, is it harassment? It is pretty reprehensible behaviour regardless.

Thanks

ABajaninCork

Send them a solicitor's letter stating there is no debt and any further communications chasing for the non-existant debt will be treated as harassment and will be turned over to the Gards for action?

Dunno, it might work...

Stercus Accidit

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Send them a solicitor's letter stating there is no debt and any further communications chasing for the non-existant debt will be treated as harassment and will be turned over to the Gards for action?

Dunno, it might work...

Was my thought also, but I would be guessing unfortunately as I am not a solicitor. I had the idea of sending a registered letter that was stating the same or something similar and stating that the person did not want to be contacted again.

Procrastastudy

Don't engage with them. By responding to them they know they've got your attention. Just bin the letters.

Peanut2011

OP, I would look in to the headed paper and try to find out if the company is legit first. Secondly if they are legit, I would write to them once stating that the debt is not yours, that the said e-bay account is not yours and that you will ignore further correspondence. Furthermore I would than also inform them that if they continue the harassment you would be passing their letters to your solicitor.

If however you can not find the company or don't want to be bothered doing any of that I would simply bin them.

Indricotherium

Peanut2011 wrote: »

OP, I would look in to the headed paper and try to find out if the company is legit first. Secondly if they are legit, I would write to them once stating that the debt is not yours, that the said e-bay account is not yours and that you will ignore further correspondence. Furthermore I would than also inform them that if they continue the harassment you would be passing their letters to your solicitor.

If however you can not find the company or don't want to be bothered doing any of that I would simply bin them.

Seems like two contradiciting actions there.

Are you going to ignore them, or pass them to a solicitor?

Clear communication is needed in situations like this, not muddled letters that give across an impression of someone infirm, or easily mislead.

sham58107

How much is debt?. Do not think eBay would use collectors,as there fees are usually very low.
I use eBay and they usually just send you gentle reminder by email,si I would be inclined to ignore letters,as already stated better now to engage with these collectors.

Peanut2011

Indricotherium wrote: »

Seems like two contradiciting actions there.

Are you going to ignore them, or pass them to a solicitor?

Clear communication is needed in situations like this, not muddled letters that give across an impression of someone infirm, or easily mislead.

I gave two possible actions and they are different as in two options.
First suggested action would be preferred one as you do not want the problems down the line, however as I mentioned if the person can not be bothered or simply can't do that, than I would ignore them especially as they already called and spoken to these guys after first letter.

Indricotherium

Peanut2011 wrote: »

I gave two possible actions and they are different as in two options.
First suggested action would be preferred one as you do not want the problems down the line, however as I mentioned if the person can not be bothered or simply can't do that, than I would ignore them especially as they already called and spoken to these guys after first letter.

You said "then also".

Stercus Accidit

The collection agency exists supposedly (the company mentioned in the letters anyway), a copy of the letters has been posted to me so I will see soon. I could even post up a scanned copy with details removed if people are interested?

I would love to tell them not to contact her again, firmly, and that further correspondences would be considered harassment, is that a possible course of action? If they were to ignore such an instruction, could it be passed on to the guards?

So far the three options are ignore them (these letters upset this lady, she is of a nervous disposition), send a registered letter telling them to cease contact, or get a solicitors letter which I would nearly be willing to do out of spite for these people.

Peanut2011

Stercus Accidit wrote: »

The collection agency exists supposedly (the company mentioned in the letters anyway)

I would love to tell them not to contact her again, firmly, and that further correspondences would be considered harassment, is that a possible course of action? If they were to ignore such an instruction, could it be passed on to the guards?

So far the three options are ignore them (these letters upset this lady, she is of a nervous disposition), send a registered letter telling them to cease contact, or get a solicitors letter which I would nearly be willing to do out of spite for these people.

If it is a genuine company they may have gotten the details from someone, but personally I did not hear of collections agencies pursuing e-bay payments, than you can write to them asking for full details of the case and to prove it is the lady in question while stating that she fully denies any such outstanding amounts.

However if the lady in question is of a nervous disposition the quick way to shut any further correspondence would be by getting a solicitor to write to them on her behalf and state that any further correspondence is to go trough their office.

Pat Mustard

Two letters are not likely to amount to harassment.

However, if matters continue then persistent communication can amount to harassment, which can be dealt with by way of complaint to the guards.

Stercus Accidit

I just received a copy of the 'invoice' upon which all this is based.

It is a printout of an ebay Luxembourg(?) invoice with this ladies name and address given. Any scammer can make an account with any name and address.

I assume this will go no further?

Should this lady bother to contact the debt collectors again to repeat that they are mistaken? Do they have any right to continue to send letters?

Thanks to all who have replied so far.

paul71

Stercus,

This sounds like an oft used scam wherein, a ficticuous debt collection agency is pursuing a ficticuous debt on behalf of a ficticuous company, based on some vague information they have on a database file with the ladies name. The first thing to do is establish of either the debt collection agency or the company for whom it says it acting for, are in fact legal entities. The fact that the have a name on a letterhead does not mean they exist as a legal entity, I could create a letterhead with a company name in 20 seconds in microsoft word but that does not give effect to legal entity status.
If the letter quotes a company registered number and a registered office, then do a company search in the country where the registered office is located. If none of these prove the existance of the debt collection agency or the company they work for then they do not exist, therefore cannot sue as legal entities, therefore you friend has nothing to be concerned about, so you are safe to bin the letters.
If you find that they do exist as legal entities then it is most likely that they have added an extra layer of fraud to their crime and you should engage a solicitor to do as previous posters have suggested and should communication continue from them contact the Garda.