If you are currently being contacted by a party that you are not completely familiar with and they are requesting money from you, they are likely one of two types of entities – a debt collector or a scam artist. Get a free consult by a New Orleans FDCPA lawyer to help you determine your rights@
Both debt collection agencies and scam artists activities are rising to go after consumers and request one’s hard earned money. While they may both have many similarities in practice, only one may have even a partially legitimate claim to request a payment from a consumer. 
The best way to be certain and know your potential right of action is to speak with a New Orleans FDCPA lawyer who specializes in Louisiana credit reporting laws and Louisiana debt collection laws, but you first may be able to differentiate your protruder to better understand your situation. Below is a number of indicators that may assist you in being able to spot the difference.
It is a debt collector’s primary objective to collect money from you. However, if the alleged debt collector seems to be expressing urgent circumstances from the very get go, they may be a scam artist and attempting to get you pay an amount of money that you do not actually owe. Things that should raise your suspicion is an immediate discussion of a threat of a law suit. Actual debt collectors may replicate this tactic, and if they do, they may likely be in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and a New Orleans FDCPA lawyer who specializes in Louisiana credit reporting laws and Louisiana debt collection laws would be best to help navigate potential remedies.
Scam artists do not want to leave a paper trail on where a payment is sent. So, in addition to not being willing to give information about their company, they may claim that the payment must be completed via a wire transfer, through random gift cards, or other untraceable methods of payment. An actual debt collector will have more variety of methods to receive payment including check or credit card.
While it is reasonable to not immediately recall every account that you have ever opened over the course of your lifetime, there are some accounts that you may be certain to have nevered opened. In which case, you may be dealing with a scam artist working to make you their next victim. However, as debt collectors are separate agencies which purchase the original debt from an account you may have opened with the original creditor, they likely will operate under a name that you not familiar. Fortunately, a New Orleans FDCPA lawyer who specializes in Louisiana credit reporting laws and Louisiana debt collection laws will likely be able to investigate and determine if the account is based on a legitimate claim. Furthermore, if you are familiar with the account, but the amount requested is much higher than you believe it should be, a New Orleans FDCPA lawyer may be able to get the debt removed from your credit report if it is listed there and get the debt collector in violation of the FDCPA to pay the victim of the debt collector violation up to $1,000.
While not every legitimate debt may appear promptly or concurrently on one’s credit report, they generally should appear at some point. If the debt has never showed up on the report, it is indicative of a scam. Discussing the matter with a New Orleans FDCPA lawyer who specializes in Louisiana credit report laws and Louisiana debt collection laws may be the best way to make the determination for you.
Whether being harassed by a debt collector or a scam, speaking with a New Orleans FDCPA lawyer is the best way to explore you best options, but if it is a scam artist, it should be reported to the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and your state Attorney General.
