Fake debt collectors: threatening calls about a debt you don't owe

Fake debt collectors: threatening calls about a debt you don't owe

"This is the legal department. You have an unpaid debt of €847 and, if you don't pay today, we'll start court proceedings and send the sheriff to your house." The voice is firm, the tone threatening, and the debt is one you've never heard of. Or it's a real debt from years ago that someone now wants paid "today, by transfer, or else". Fake debt collectors use fear and urgency to make you pay before you check anything. A real debt can always be checked, and no legitimate collector can have you arrested over the phone.

How does the fake debt collector scam work?

• The made-up debt. They invent a debt with an old loan company, a phone provider, a payday lender or "a company you signed up with online". They may know your name, address and even your PPS number from data breaches, which makes it sound credible.
• The real but sold-on or old debt. Sometimes there was a real debt, long paid or bought by another company, and the scammer uses those details to demand payment to their own account.
• The threats. Court, judgment, the sheriff, repossession, losing your job, telling your family or employer, Garda involvement or arrest.
• The urgent payment. Always by transfer to an account in someone else's name, by card over the phone, by crypto or with gift cards, "today, to stop the proceedings".

How do I recognise a fake debt collector?

• They won't send anything in writing or give the full name of the company, its address and the original creditor.
• They threaten arrest. Not paying a civil debt isn't a crime, and nobody gets arrested over the phone.
• They demand payment immediately, by unusual methods or to personal accounts.
• They won't give details of the debt: the original agreement, dates, a breakdown of the amount.
• They get aggressive or threaten to tell your family, neighbours or employer.
• The company can't be found or isn't authorised. If they claim to be collecting for a bank, lender or credit servicing firm, you can check whether that firm is authorised on the Central Bank of Ireland registers.

What are my rights when dealing with a debt collector?

• You can ask for the details in writing: who the original creditor was, the amount and how it's broken down, and on what basis they're collecting. A legitimate firm will provide this.
• Threats and harassment aren't acceptable. Irish law makes it an offence to demand payment of a debt in a way designed to alarm, distress or humiliate the person or their family, for example through frequent calls, threats or false claims about criminal proceedings.
• Your personal data is protected. A collector can't share your debt with your family, neighbours or employer. If you believe your data has been misused, you can complain to the Data Protection Commission.
• Regulated firms must follow the Central Bank's consumer protection rules. If you have a complaint about a regulated lender or credit servicing firm and it isn't resolved through the firm's own complaints process, you can go to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO).
• A court process involves official documents. Legal proceedings for a debt begin with formal papers served on you, not with a phone call demanding a transfer.
• If you really do owe money and are struggling, the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) offers free, confidential help with debt.

What do I do right now if they ring?

1. Don't pay anything during the call, and don't give card or bank details.
2. Don't confirm personal details (date of birth, PPS number, address).
3. Ask for everything in writing: company name, address, the original creditor, the amount and its breakdown. Note the caller's name and number.
4. Hang up if they threaten or insult you. You don't have to put up with it.
5. Check independently: contact the original creditor using official details you find yourself (the website, an old statement), not the ones the caller gives you. Check whether the debt exists and who owns it.
6. Keep a record of every call: date, time, number and what was said.
7. Report the number in the spam numbers directory.

What if I've already paid or given my details?

1. Ring your bank on its official number to try to stop or recall the payment, and block your card if you gave its details.
2. Change your online banking password if you shared anything related to it.
3. Report it to the Gardaí at your local Garda station, with the record of calls and any receipts.
4. Be alert to new calls: once you've paid, you may be targeted again, sometimes by "agencies" promising to get your money back for a fee.

If your bank won't refund you and you disagree, complain formally to the bank; then you can bring it to the FSPO.

Where do I report it?

• An Garda Síochána, at your local station, if they're threatening you, demanding money for a debt that doesn't exist or you've lost money.
• The Data Protection Commission, if your personal data has been misused.
• The FSPO, for an unresolved complaint about a regulated financial firm.
• NoCall, in the spam numbers directory.

The CCPC's guide to financial scams has more on scams that use financial pretexts.

Frequently asked questions

Can I be arrested for not paying a debt? Not for owing money on a loan, phone bill or similar. Threatening you with arrest over the phone is a typical sign of a scam.

They knew my PPS number and address. Is that proof? No. Those details can come from breaches or old records. Ask for the debt in writing and check with the original creditor.

What if the debt is real? Then it can be checked and you'll get it in writing. Pay only after confirming who's owed and through official channels, and if you're struggling, contact MABS for free advice.

Can they ring my family or employer about my debt? They shouldn't disclose your debt to others. If they do, keep a record and complain to the Data Protection Commission.

In short

A call demanding urgent payment for a debt you don't recognise, with threats of arrest or the sheriff, is a classic scam. Don't pay, ask for everything in writing, check with the original creditor and keep a record. If you've already paid, ring your bank and report it to the Gardaí. And report the number in the NoCall spam numbers directory.