Non Payment of Debts and Jail
No one goes to jail from not paying their debts, but there are methods legitimate creditors use to try to get their money. If debts are not paid, you could be sued, lose your home, or experience having your wages garnished. Garnished wages from your pay can be an embarrassing situation. If you ever get a phone call with the threat of jail, you know you may have a con artist on the phone. A con artist or person claiming to be a collection agency may use severe tactics and they often use abusive language with threats that can unnerve anyone.
If you think you have a scammer on the phone, do not give them any personal information, nor any bank account or credit card information. Never be surprised if a con artist already has some of your personal information, this helps make the scam less identifiable. Tell them to mail the information about the debt to you and ask them what is the name of the creditor you owe. Usually a con artist will hang up when they feel you are aware of the scam. After the call, if they told you a specific company, contact the company and give them details of the phone conversation.
A scammer's goal is to get money or personal information. They may ask for a bank account number, a credit card number, or ask you to do a wire transfer to a bank account. Often, to get the victim to give them information, they resort to threats of prison or jail. Many consumers have fallen for such lies and give out personal information only to have more problems.
Scammers may claim to be your bank representative, your credit card company, or any other reputable company. They sometimes say they are calling to verify or update your information or that your account may be at risk for fraud. They may state some piece of information to ease your mind and gain your confidence and then they start trying to get more sensitive information from you. Don't fall for it, hang up the phone.
There are some scams involving consumers who make a purchase, and later get a check in the mail to cash or deposit. It may appear harmless, but make sure you read any fine print. Take care when you cash or deposit any strange check that you are not joining a membership club that will bill you monthly or yearly. By cashing or depositing such a check you are giving your authorization for any charges.
It is always helpful when consumers report such fraudulent practices so other consumers can be careful. Many times when scammers are reported, the local or national news stations will give viewers information so they can be alerted to the newest scams. You can file complaints with your state Attorney General, Consumer Protection Office, and the Federal Trade Commission.
More:
Can Debt Collectors Put Me In Jail - Debt collectors cannot put you in jail for not paying your bill. But that doesn't stop debt collectors from trying all sorts of underhanded tactics to get you to pay.
Chargeoff credit card - How to charge off credit card balances yourself, or get professional help from a debt settlement company.
Debt negotiation sample letter - Do It Yourself debt settlement.
Free debt settlement - Do It Yourself debt settlement to negotiate lower bills.
Government debt consolidation loans - Truth about government loans to pay bills.
Joint credit card debt - Which spouse pays the bills (loans and credit cards) after divorce.
For those consumers struggling with credit card debts, it may not be too frightening. It use to be estimated that the average American has more than $8,000 just in credit card debt and has been viewed as adding to problems of the economy. One thing some consumers may need to do is to stop charging needlessly no matter what the statistics report.
Recently it has been found that many consumers may owe very little to credit card companies and most households only owe balances of less than $2,000. It may be that only one in about 18 Americans actually owes a huge $8,000 or more on credit cards. Reports do indicate that 80% of households have at least one credit card and those households are getting in debt with that one card. The 20% who don't have credit cards, may not even have credit or a retail card. In fact, many people are quite frugal even with the problems of the economy and loss of jobs.
There may only be about 4% of those with credit cards who owe $10,000 or about 1% who owe over $21,000. Still consumer debt is important as many consumers are having financial problems due to whatever circumstances. About a third of those who owe around $10,000 may only have incomes of $30,000 or less. Bankruptcy may be the only option for those who continue to struggle, due to the loss of a job or medical emergencies, to be able to find peace of mind from high debts that can never be repaid. Some consumers will continue to over charge on credit cards and other Americans, who have jobs, may do just fine managing a family budget during these tough times. When financial problems are mounting, consider credit counseling before they get out of control.
