Alleged debt collection procedure
The client is said to be “Euromillions The Lottery Company Ltd.” Sums between 500 and 600 euros are required. Transfers should be made to an account in Belgium. The BDIU makes it clear: “This is a clear attempt at fraud.”
Among other things, the company claims to be a member of the BDIU.
“This is wrong, as can be easily verified by looking at our member list,” explains a spokesman for the association. “There is also no debt collection company registered under this name in the legal services register.”
Those seeking advice who have received a reminder from “Grada GmbH” should under no circumstances respond directly. Particular caution should be exercised when visiting the website of the alleged debt collection agency, which contains several contact forms. “You should not enter any data here,” said the BDIU spokesman. Objection to the false demands is also not recommended.
“Fraudsters also use the contact options provided to obtain personal information from consumers. You shouldn't do them this favor. The only correct response to a fake reminder letter is to report it to the police.”
Consumers repeatedly report to the BDIU who have received letters from false debt collection companies and ask the association for advice. Very often it involves lottery or other competitions that the recipients have never heard of before. However, most counterfeits can be easily recognized as such. The letters often contain many errors, the sender and payee do not agree with each other and the payments are requested to accounts abroad, which would be very unusual for German debt collection companies.
Advice on how to properly handle reminder letters
The Debt Collection Association provides advice on its website www.inkasso.de . The BDIU has provided extensive information about debt collection in the consumer section of the site. Among other things, you can find out here how to check reminder letters for authenticity. A sample letter with interactive buttons explains what components a serious debt collection reminder contains.
“In their letters, debt collection companies must provide precise information about the reason for the claim and the creditor. Serious debt collection claims relate to invoices that have not been paid on time. Using the information in the reminder letter, you can easily check whether you know the claim - because you usually know if there are still outstanding payments somewhere.”
If the sender is a registered debt collection company and there are doubts about the claim, the BDIU recommends contacting the company.
“Real debt collectors will do everything they can to explain the payment claim as clearly and unambiguously as possible.”
Source: Press portal
About the BDIU
Around 500 debt collection companies are organized in the Federal Association of German Debt Collection Companies.
They represent the interests of around 500,000 clients from all relevant sectors in Germany, to whom they repay around 6 billion euros in outstanding claims every year. Since October 1, 2021, a Code of Conduct for fair debt collection has applied to all BDIU member companies, compliance with which is monitored by the association's ombudsman, the former Federal Minister of Justice Brigitte Zypries. Related to the topic: Fraudulent demand letters in circulation – debt collection company does not exist!
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