Being contacted about debt is one thing but being contacted about debt you don’t owe is a whole another ballgame.  When one is in debt, he/she may think they owe the world everything and when you get debt notices in the mail, most people may just set it aside wanting to pay it off later but what they don’t realize is that they don’t owe that company.

Whether it’s a scam or simply a billing mistake, always make sure you check out the history behind the debt.  If you know you owe that particular debt, then pay it off but it seems fishy and you don’t think you don’t owe, here’s what you do:

Contact the debt collectors- The first thing you’ll want to do is get ahold of the person that sent you this notice.  Get in touch and explain yourself.  Most of the times this will settle your problem.  If they won’t budge and you know you don’t owe it, then proceed on.

Get ahold of regulators- If this collector continues to call you on debt you don’t owe, you can contact your state attorney’s office.  This is where you can file a complaint.  If the attorney’s office receives enough complaints from a particular company, they will usually investigate but if you’re the only one, most of the times nothing really happens.

Watch your credit report – If the company isn’t listening, make sure that you watch your credit reports.  You may find that the company is posting bogus debts to your record.  This in turn is going to hurt your credit and score making it a lot harder for you to get a better interest rate, mortgage, etc.

File a lawsuit – You may soon find out that they just won’t work with you.  Gather up some evidence to prove that you don’t owe it and contact a local lawyer.  You may have to take the company to court to dispute their claims.  If you have the necessary evidence, you probably can win the case.

Being contacted about debt you don’t owe happens to more people than you think but just be aware because most of the time it is a scam.  If the company does seem legit, they will most likely work with you.  If you find that they won’t work for you and you assume they are legit, then I would highly advise you take the tips above and use them to your advantage.