If you’re already in debt and contacted by a collection agency, it might be easy to believe the collection agent is pursuing you for a debt you really created. Even if you don’t remember the debt, a collector could have enough information to convince you that it’s real. However, debt collectors have been known to make up debts, so it’s in your best interest to verify that a debt is real before you pay or settle it.
Use Debt Validation to Reveal Fake Debts
The best way to verify that a debt is real is through the debt validation process. You have the right to ask a debt collector to send proof of a debt as long as you make the request within the first 30 days of being contacted.
When a collector contacts you about a debt that you’re not sure you owe, you should not admit to anything. Instead,