Wrong phone number

We inherited the phone number of a deadbeat. 18 months later, we are still getting dozens of phone calls each day for this person from collection agencies, loan sharks, etc. it is driving us crazy. Is there anything we can besides discontinuing phone service or getting a new phone number?

Thanks

Comments for Wrong phone number

Click here to add your own comments

Jul 27, 2015
 Removing my old number from debt collectors
by: Anonymous

I was googling my sons name & a old number of mine came up a lady answered & said she has been receiving calls for me & other family members on this number.

I had that number @ least 10 years ago..how can I get my name removed from this number so the people that have it now are no longer harassed?

Reply from DebtCollectionAnswers.com:

It's a great question but to our knowledge there is no central registry that will allow you to do that.
Jan 27, 2015
 Karen Macormic
by: Anonymous

I have been receiving phone calls from random numbers that change by the minute. They want to speak to Karen and I have told them there isn't a Karen at this number. These people that call have will cuss me out and tell me to give their balls kisses when I tell them to stop calling. I get on a average of 20-40 calls a day from them all from random numbers. I have 180 numbers blocked in my phone already but this doesn't stop them. How do I make these people stop calling the wrong number for this Karen person?

Reply from DebtCollectionAnswers.com

You may need to start using a call screening service so only numbers you allow can get through. That or get another phone number, but you may get a number that has problems as well.
Oct 26, 2014
 a person giving out our phone number
by: Anonymous

We were assigned our phone number 4 years ago. Almost immediately the phone started ringing asking for so and so. At first we thought nothing of it but the calls came coming pretty regularly for the first two years and then they tapered off and suddenly when we bought something at Kohl's, her name came out on our account, then I got a call from Walgreens asking for her, and lastly a receipt by e-mail from K Mart. She has a phone according to the telephone book but she never answers and what bothers me most of all is where did Walgreens get my E-mail address. Our nephew is a policeman who tells us there is nothing we can do but change our telephone number. Any suggestions???

Reply from DebtCollectionAnswers.com

Your nephew is probably right. Unfortunately, though, if you get another phone number you may run into the same problem. You might consider a phone screening service like Google voice or one available through your phone service.
Aug 05, 2014
 Collector calling an outdated number!
by: MythicalCheesePirate

Reply from DebtCollectionAnswers.com:
The debt collector who contacted you violated the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act in several ways. First, by using profanity when speaking to you and second by making threats it would not be able to follow through on. At the very least therefore, you should file complaints against the company with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint and with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov. The CFPB will forward your complaint to the debt collection agency and work to get a response from it. And, if the FTC receives enough consumers complaints like yours about the debt collection firm, it will take legal action against it.

I got one for ya. I have been receiving calls from a particular bill collector for someone named Rhonda something-or-other. These calls occur usually during the day and several attempts to reach this person are on my answering machine daily. A woman from this agency finally called last night when I was home, so I politely explained that no one of that name lives in my residence. She asked what my name was. I told her that it was not really any of her business and that they apparently have an old number of this person they are hunting which is now my number. The bill collector then became agitated and started quoting some kind of 'legal' document to me that she supposedly had. She explained, in between curse words, that I could face charges for purposely lying to mislead collection efforts, or something like that. I told her not to call back and that I am sorry that their client had a deadbeat that does not want to pay her bills. I do not have that problem, I always pay mine. Well, I was forced to hang up because her threats were getting ridiculous. She started claiming to be able to freeze my bank account, have me arrested, blah blah blah! So I hung up. This conversation was recorded too. I wonder if I should proceed with a harassment law suit or let it go? Well, that depends on them I guess. If they continue to call and do this, I really will have no choice. Hey, maybe I will get some cash!!
Jun 26, 2014
 Get calls for another person to stop
by: Dottie

Last year I happened upon the seemingly perfect solution for stopping calls to my number for other individuals (debtors) from debt collection firms. I've filed a number of complaints online with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (consumerfinance.gov), and each time the debt collection firm has responded promptly to me through CFPB, and the calls completely stopped. Even when no voice messages are left, I've fortunately been able to discern the names of the debt collection firms through web searches of the phone numbers from which the calls originated. (It appears that CFPB is unable to process complaints without the name of the debt collection firm involved.) I only wish I had become aware of this option years ago - it would have prevented so many annoying calls (although I'm unsure when CFPB actually began its online complaint function).
Feb 05, 2014
 Jerks using my number for 10 years
by: Georgina Smith

I have people by then name of Lee and Mary Shipley who are giving out my number to everyone from shopping departments to debt collectors for 10 years now. (I assume this may have been their number at one time). I do not know how to stop it. It did stop for a couple of years but has started again and the people on the other end tend not to believe me.

Reply from DebtCollectionAnswers.com:

There's no simple solution to this but you can try a couple of things. One is to see if your phone company offers a call screening service which basically makes callers identify themselves first. The other would be to get something like a google voice number and use that as your phone number going forward. It also allows you to screen calls but you can keep your original number too and just answer the ones you want.

Wish we had an easy solution for you!
Nov 26, 2013
 Wrong phone number
by: Debtcollectionanswers.com

Unfortunately, there is not a lot that you can do. I had a similar situation myself after I first got my cell phone. Each time I received a call for the debtor who used to have my number, I told the collection agency that the person they were looking for was not me. Eventually, the calls stopped. So, you can do what I did. Or, as you mentioned you can change your number or discontinue phone service.

Click here to add your own comments

Return to Debt Not Mine.

Learn how debt collection laws can help you!
This website does not provide legal advice.
All information is for educational purposes only.
Copyright 2007 - 2018 by Mary Reed and Gerri Detweiler.
All rights reserved.

Disclosure: We may receive compensation for marketing some of the services mentioned on this site. Above all though, our goal is to recommend products and services we believe can help our readers. You can learn more here.