BANKRUPTCY SCAMMERS

According to the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA), a recent scam occurred in which con artists targeted people around the country who had filed for bankruptcy or who were just getting started in the process.

As part of the ruse, the scammers used software to trick Caller ID systems into displaying caller info that appeared to be that of the consumer’s bankruptcy attorney. Victims of the scam would then be instructed to immediately wire money to satisfy a debt that supposedly was outside of the bankruptcy process. In some cases, unsuspecting consumers were even threatened with arrest if they didn’t comply with the instructions to wire money.

Complicating matters, the scam calls typically were made in the evening or during non-business hours, leaving little chance that a victim could contact his or her attorney to verify the legitimacy of the call.

Here’s the key thing to keep in mind.  No attorney, or staff member, would ever call and ask a client to wire money to satisfy a debt, and they also would never threaten you with an arrest because of a debt that hasn’t been paid.

If you happen to ever receive a call like the one described above, hang up and then let us know.  And, under no circumstance should you ever give out any personal or financial account information to the caller.

Having to go through a bankruptcy is difficult enough; don’t make things worse by falling victim to a scam.