On behalf of Law Offices of Mark M. Kratter, LLC on October 10, 2012
Many Connecticut residents may have struggled with credit card debt at one time in their lives. However, it could be important to note that some of those credits charges may have been fraudulent. When a credit card number is stolen, many charges come from sex-related internet sites. Although the credit card company will deny the charges, collection companies may step in and purchase the fraudulent debt for relatively little money in order to attempt to force the consumer to pay off the credit card debt.
Some people may fight back against this type of debt, but those fearing a credit score hit will ultimately pay the debt even though it is not theirs. Such tactics are dirty and unfair to consumers already struggling to pay off their legitimate debts. Fortunately consumers in this position have legal rights when it comes to aggressive debt collection practices.
If a consumer believes a debt is fraudulent, they can request a verification of the debt from the collector. When this occurs, the collector is barred from contacting the consumer again until the debt is proven. A consumer who asserts their legal rights is often enough to dissuade even the most aggressive collector.
In the state of Connecticut and throughout the nation, consumers have legal rights against these types of fraudulent credit card debt practices. Identity theft is becoming rampant across the world, but consumers should not have to pay debts that don't belong to them. Knowing one's rights and asserting them could stop such collector harassment in the future. Those who have asserted their rights already but are struggling to make ends meet may also consider the benefits of filing for bankruptcy as a further debt relief measure.
Source: ToledoBlade.com, "Bad debt," Oct. 1, 2012
