The debt collection scam consists of receiving a phone call from a random number with the caller claiming you owe a sum of money. Pretending to be a law enforcement officer, lawyer, or debt collection agency they will try and convince you that If you don’t pay, you will be in a lot of trouble.

Of course, this is entirely fictional, and no money is owed to these alleged companies. The scammers prey on particularly vulnerable people they can intimidate, including the elderly. Known to become quite aggressive on the call, the scammers claim you need to pay immediately and will ask for your credit card or bank details to make the payment. If you do make any sort of payment, they will either empty your account or call every couple of days demanding more payments.

Another method they will ask you to pay is by online gift cards, this is a tell-tale sign it’s a scam as no legitimate company would ask for this type of payment method.