Some Debt Collectors Seek Money You Don't Owe

It can happen on two fronts.

Either a legitimate company makes a mistake or a schemer is simply looking for ways to access your pocketbook.

We got a complaint about a company called NCO Financial Systems.

The company reportedly calls victims daily asking for repayment for a debt they don't owe.

In fact, the Federal Trade Commission fined NCO $.5 million for reporting inaccurate information to credit bureaus.

And the company paid $300,000 to victims in Pennsylvania for using deceptive collection practices.

The Better Business Bureau gets several complaints weekly, some from people who've lost real money.

David Dalrymple with the BBB said, "It's $50, $75, $500, $300. The range of the folks I've talked to it varies across the scale. And if it's a scam artist, folks need to remember, if it's a true scam artist the money's probably not going to come back. It's gone."

Here are some ways to protect yourself.

First, don't give out any personal information. Many of the unscrupulous companies could be after your bank account number and your cash.

Also, make sure you ask them questions. This can help you remember if it really is your debt.

And ask a third party like the Better Business Bureau to help you confirm the collector's claims.

Here's some hope.

If you're contacted in error by a legitimate company and pay a bogus debt you're more likely to get your money back.

The Better Business Bureau warns you not to ignore a debt collector.

If they seem adamant about payment, you could be the victim of ID theft.

WFMY News2