7 Ways to Stop Overseas Debt Collection Scam Calls

Strategy #5: Hire an Attorney

Howard says that once his clients tell the callers that they are represented by an attorney and give the collector his name and number, the calls usually stop. “They may realize that this isn’t the easiest mark,” he says.

Strategy #6: Change Your Phone Number

If other methods to stop them don’t work, you may want to consider changing your phone number. Of course, “It is a great inconvenience to have to change your phone number,” says Fox.

And, unfortunately, doing so may not stop the scammers, warns Fullbright, who has worked with clients who were still harassed after they changed their phone numbers. Plus, Howard warns, “when you change your number there is a chance you will get calls for the person who previously had the number and couldn’t pay their bills.” And you may be foisting the problem on the next person who gets your phone number. My teenage daughter still fends off collectors trying to reach the person who previously had her cell phone number — and it’s been well over two years since she got that number.

Another alternative is to check whether your phone company offers a call screening service that requires callers to announce themselves before their calls go through. There’s likely to be a fee for that service, though. A free alternative is a Google Voice number that lets you manage which calls go straight through to you, and which ones must be announced or go straight to voice mail.

Strategy #7: Have Fun With It

These kinds of calls can be scary and stressful. Nicolette commented on our blog, “I have nightmares and dread when the phone rings. I just wish he would stop calling.” But if you’ve figured out it’s a scam then maybe you can try to make their lives miserable. One of my friends told me that when he gets harassing collection calls he just starts “messing with the caller,” asking them what they’re wearing or finding other ways to “creep them out.” A commenter on our blog who said he worked briefly for one of these firms suggests “Ask them if you are American, then tell me few lines of our national anthem.” I’ve also heard from consumers who put the collectors on hold and don’t come back, blow whistles or air horns into the phone, or play obnoxious music at full volume. (I am not suggesting these methods for avoiding legitimate collection calls, of course.)

One of our readers, going by the name 2Creative, shared some “creative” ways to deal with these scammers in his comment on one of our previous stories. Here is one of them:

Ask if they are related to the deceased (insert your name here as the “deceased”) or just a family friend, because “the viewing of the body (is) for family only, but the memorial service is open to everyone.” Ask if they would like directions to the funeral.

He says, “I started getting these calls about a year ago. (Using creative tactics) they do stop calling me for about 6 months…so the way I figure it, a little time out of my day to give them back a taste of their own medicine is worth it for 6 months of peace and quiet.”

Hear more in an interview with attorney William Howard about how these scams work and what to do to protect yourself. It includes a recording of an actual call made by one of these scammers to a consumer. Listen online here, download the podcast here, or listen on iTunes.