The Oregon Department of Justice is alerting everyone to this:
Scam Alert: Fake Debt Collection Scams
Excerpt: “The Oregon Department of Justice has received several complaints regarding phony debt collection calls. Scam artists pose as debt collectors or law enforcement officers calling about an outstanding debt from an online payday loan. They frequently use fake phone numbers and official sounding business names. They also do their research. Some Oregonians have been tricked into paying nonexistent debt because the scam artist knew personal information about them, including their Social Security number, home address, e-mail, and names of family and personal references.
The majority of debt collectors abide by the rules of fair debt collection practices. Not only are these phony debt collectors stealing from Oregon consumers, the tactics they are using are illegal….” (Link to full press release.)
Visit the Oregon DOJ website or:
For consumer-related matters, call the Attorney General’s Consumer Hotline between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.:
(503) 378-4320 from Salem
(503) 229-5576 from Portland (toll free)
1-877-877-9392 elsewhere in Oregon (toll free)
email: consumer.hotline@doj.state.or.us