[greenshackle2]

I'm in Canada so laws are different but what I found here is when I ask for proof they don't send it, they just sell the "debt" to a different agency and then I start getting harassed again 2 months later, rinse and repeat.

(I put debt in quotes because the alleged debt is with a company I've never done business with, so I assume it's completely fake, mistaken identity, or identity theft.)

[LorenPechtel]

That happens here (US), also.

I got one that must have been mistaken, sent off the letter asking for evidence and it shows up from a new guy instead. Same letter to the new guy, it never returned.

There is one simple change I would like to see to the industry--if a debt is challenged it should be illegal to sell while the challenge clock is running and if it's not substantiated it should be illegal to sell, period. You should not have to play whack-a-mole with bogus or mistaken identity debt.

I would also like to see the FDCPA remedies applied to everyone--you should have the same causes of action even if it's not your debt.

[vineyardmike]

Just an FYI it is illegal if you ask. Or something like that IANAL. The author of the original article has a “what letter to write to debt collectors” article and basically says something to the affect of

“Please provide me proof that this debt is valid. Or else please notify all credit agencies that this debt is invalid and should be scrubbed. You are not allowed to sell or collect on this debt until you tell me it’s real”.

Of course doesn’t mean people follow the law. But sometimes you have to have intention in explicitly asking them to delete the record if they don’t have proof.

https://www.kalzumeus.com/2017/09/09/identity-theft-credit-r...