A caller says you owe money and must pay today. They may know your name, your address or even part of your Social Security or National Insurance number. Real debt collectors exist, and so do people who pretend to be them, sometimes using details taken from a data breach.
The way through is the same either way: do not pay or give details on that call. Ask for the facts in writing, then check them yourself using contact details you find independently.
The short answer. Do not pay, and do not confirm card, bank or identity details, on a call you did not expect. Ask for the collector’s name, company, street address and phone number, and for details of the debt in writing. In the United States a real collector must give those details when they first contact you or within five days. Then check the company yourself and contact the original lender using a number you already have.
Signs it may not be a real collector
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the United States agency for financial consumers, lists these warning signs (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, reviewed 30 July 2026):
- They threaten you, or call late at night or at your workplace.
- They will not give a mailing address or phone number.
- They will not give details of the debt, or it is a debt you do not recognise.
- They say you can be arrested.
- They ask for your personal financial information.
In the United States
- Ask for: their name, the company name, its street address and phone number, and its licence number if your state licenses debt collectors.
- Expect details in writing: a real collector must give you information about the debt when they first contact you or within five days.
- Check: your state attorney general or state regulator can confirm a licensed collector.
- Report: complaints go to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov/complaint, and scams to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
In the United Kingdom
- Check the firm: most debt collection agencies are authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. Search its Financial Services Register using the name on the letter, and phone the firm using the number on the register, not the one in the message.
- Check the debt is yours: a collector may be chasing someone with a similar name. Ask the original lender which companies are contacting you about it.
- Do not ignore a real letter: the debt charity StepChange gives free advice on what to do next (StepChange).
- Report a scam: to Report Fraud, or Police Scotland in Scotland. Other countries are on the official help page.
If you already paid or gave details
Call your bank on the number on the back of your card straight away. The guide I already paid a scammer or gave my details lists the next steps by how you paid. If a message or call is pushing you to pay a fee, check it first with Before You Pay or the scam text message check.
Questions people ask
How do I know if a debt collector is real?
Ask for their name, company, street address and phone number and for the debt details in writing, then check the company yourself: with your state attorney general or regulator in the United States, or on the Financial Conduct Authority register in the United Kingdom. Contact the original lender using a number you already have.
Should I pay a debt collector over the phone?
Not on a call you did not expect. Ask for the details in writing first and check that the collector and the debt are real.
A collector knows part of my Social Security number. Does that mean they are real?
No. Scammers can get partial details from data breaches. Knowing some of your details does not prove anything. Check the company independently before you pay or confirm anything.
Before you go
Check a request for money before you pay — free, nothing uploaded.