BBB warns against ‘zombie’ and ‘phantom’ scams

With Halloween just around the corner, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning you about “zombie” and “phantom” scams.

The BBB says with these types of scams, victims complain that they are being harassed for weeks or months by someone who is trying to get them to pay a debt they don’t even owe.

“The scammer calls and says that they work for a loan company, law firm or government agency, and claim to be collecting an overdue payment,” the BBB said.

“After replying that you don’t owe money, the ‘debt collector’ starts threatening to file a lawsuit, have wages garnished, issue an arrest warrant, or arrange for a court appearance.”

But it’s not just around Halloween — the agency says these scams happen all year long.

For example, one woman in Vancouver received a letter claiming to be from a car rental company. The BBB says the letter claimed she had a debt of more than $15,000. But, when she carefully read the note, she realized she didn’t rent that specific car and didn’t visit the city they clamed she did at that time.

While this person was able to tell what was happening, the BBB says many others aren’t able to recognize scammers from real debt collectors in the same way.

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The BBB is recommending people take extra care and be aware so as to avoid ending up being duped.

“If you do owe money and aren’t sure if the caller is real, ask for their name, company, street address, and telephone number,” the BBB said. “Do not provide any bank account, credit card, or other personally identifiable information over the phone.”

The organization adds real collectors will have all the details they need on the account, and must provide you with information about how to get back to them.

According to the BBB, B.C. has a two-year basic liability limitation period, which means “if it has been two years (or more) since you incurred the debt, made a payment on the debt, or acknowledged the debt — the creditor who is owed the money can no longer take legal action against you.”

If you are sure that you have no loans, hang up and don’t press any number to speak to an “agent.”

The BBB says people 18-24 and 55-64 years old are the most likely to be scammed.