AUSTIN – A warning was issued Monday by Attorney General Ken Paxton to Spanish-speaking consumers about scam artists who are posing as debt collectors, saying that they are calling on behalf of government entities.
A caller has claimed in recent cases to represent the Texas Supreme Court and demands payment of outstanding debts supposedly incurred by consumers some time in the past, according to the Office of Texas Attorney General.
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"Every day, Texans unfortunately lose money to scams and frauds, and my office is committed to protecting consumers by spreading the word about such fraudulent activity, and informing them about what to do if they fall victim," Paxton said. "The first line of defense against scammers and con artists is education, and a wide variety of important topics are addressed in the consumer protection section of our website."
According to complaints, the person calling said the consumer can either appear in court and pay the phony debt, which varies from $1,000 to $7,000, or resolve the matter immediately by sending funds directly to the scammers. Officials said how the debt was incurred is never explained.
The form of payment requested by the caller is either through prepaid cash cards or wired funds through Western Union, officials said.
The Texas Attorney General's Office said it encourages every Texan who receives a similar call from a purported government debt collection agency to first verify that the request is legitimate. Texans are advised to directly call the government agency that is purportedly seeking the funds by using a phone number for the government agency that is different from the one provided by the caller.
Officials said anyone who does receive a call from a debt collector claiming to be calling on behalf of a government or law enforcement entity to try to copy the telephone number of the caller, then stop the call and contact the Consumer Protection Division of the Texas Attorney General's Office at 800-621-0508 or 512-463-2070.
For more information, visit the Texas Attorney General's website.
