Avoiding Debt Reduction Scams
You come to the realization you need debt relief. As you start researching for assistance, you see a site that looks almost too good to be true. You sign up for their fantastic looking service. A few months down the road, you come to the realization you’ve been scammed and are in even worse shape than you were before.
It’s a frightening scenario, and it’s one that is unfortunately very real. Indeed, there are several debt reduction scams out there looking to drag people into their lair. Thankfully, there are good services out there that do want to help you. All you need to do is safeguard yourself from the scammers en route to finding the proper companies.
The biggest step that you need to take in order to avoid debt relief scams is to check out the company’s vital information. If you can’t find a physical address, phone numbers, or contact name, stay away at all costs. Lack of such basic data is a giant red flag that the company is not legit.
Another step you should take is to ensure the agency in question conforms to the standards of the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies (AICCCA). If they don’t, your suspicions ought to be raised.
But what do you do if you think you’re being scammed after you’ve utilized their services? Simple – call the creditors themselves to double-check what they are receiving. If they’re receiving less than you paid the debt reduction service, you’ll know the company you signed up with is bogus. It may be too late to recoup the damage, but you’ll at least have the knowledge needed to prevent future issues.
If you do your homework, you can avoid debt reduction scams – or at least minimize their damage – rather easily. Happy research!
It’s a frightening scenario, and it’s one that is unfortunately very real. Indeed, there are several debt reduction scams out there looking to drag people into their lair. Thankfully, there are good services out there that do want to help you. All you need to do is safeguard yourself from the scammers en route to finding the proper companies.
The biggest step that you need to take in order to avoid debt relief scams is to check out the company’s vital information. If you can’t find a physical address, phone numbers, or contact name, stay away at all costs. Lack of such basic data is a giant red flag that the company is not legit.
Another step you should take is to ensure the agency in question conforms to the standards of the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies (AICCCA). If they don’t, your suspicions ought to be raised.
But what do you do if you think you’re being scammed after you’ve utilized their services? Simple – call the creditors themselves to double-check what they are receiving. If they’re receiving less than you paid the debt reduction service, you’ll know the company you signed up with is bogus. It may be too late to recoup the damage, but you’ll at least have the knowledge needed to prevent future issues.
If you do your homework, you can avoid debt reduction scams – or at least minimize their damage – rather easily. Happy research!