Beware of 'zombie debt,' local Better Business Bureau warns
With Halloween just days away, the Better Business Bureau of Mainland B.C. is warning locals to avoid getting tricked out of their money through so-called "zombie scams."
CTV Morning Live spoke with Simone Lis, local BBB president, Wednesday about the debt-collection scam.
"What happens is you get a call or a letter from someone and they claim that you owe money and their intention is to spook you into paying that money," Lis said, explaining it's called a "zombie scam" because the debt doesn't actually exist.
"They can be really nice about it, they can use some really legitimate techniques like trying to arrange some sort of a payment plan with you as if they are a debt collector. Or they can be threatening law action, threatening to take you to court, threatening to impact your credit, so it can be quite scary."
While the name of the scam may be seasonally appropriate, Lis said it can pop up any time of year and victims may be contacted by phone, letter or online.
"One of the reports that we had they actually sent her a letter and it purported to be from a legitimate company, claiming that she owed over $15,000," Lis said.
"When she did some research and really reflected on it, she realized this was not her debt and she just discarded the letter."
Lis said the scam appears to be impacting people aged 18 to 24 and 55 to 64. That younger group, she explained, may not be aware of what legitimate debt collection looks like.
"What we really wanted to do is we want to educate people about what to look out for, commonalities about scams and then also to try to teach them to not engage at all," Lis said, adding it's "really hard" to get money back after falling for a scam.
"My biggest advice is to listen to your gut instinct. If you're not sure, talk to someone. Research has shown when you do talk to someone, that in itself can help you sort of navigate this type of situation. And then if you are a victim, please report it. We learn from those experiences, law enforcement learn and then they work to shut down some of these things."
Anyone who thinks they've been the victim of a scam should contact their local police department and report it on BBB.org/scamtracker.
Watch the full CML interview with Simone Lis in the video player above.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6979388.1722030190!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Celine Dion delivers stirring comeback performance at Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Against the rainy Paris night sky, Celine Dion staged the comeback of her career with a powerful performance from the Eiffel Tower to open the Olympic Games.
Jasper wildfire: 'Several weeks' before residents can return, premier says
Premier Danielle Smith said Friday afternoon in Hinton while weather conditions are cooler, the Jasper fire is still considered out of control and that Jasper residents can expect to be away from their homes 'for several weeks.'
Missing 3-year-old boy found dead in creek in Mississauga, Ont.: police
A three-year-old boy has been found dead a day after he went missing in a park in Mississauga, Ont., Peel police say.
Irish museum pulls Sinead O'Connor waxwork after just one day due to backlash
An Irish museum will withdraw a waxwork of singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor just one day after installing it, following a backlash from her family and the public, it told CNN in a statement on Friday.
Winnipeg senior's account overdrawn for $146,000 water bill
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six-figure water bill.
FBI says Trump was indeed struck by bullet during assassination attempt
Nearly two weeks after Donald Trump’s near assassination, the FBI confirmed Friday that it was indeed a bullet that struck the former president’s ear, moving to clear up conflicting accounts about what caused the former U.S. president’s injuries after a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally.
Driver charged after flashing high beams at approaching police
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
Turpel-Lafond won't sue CBC over Cree heritage report that took 'heavy toll': lawyer
The lawyer for a former judge whose claims to be Cree were questioned in a CBC investigation says his client is not considering legal action against the broadcaster after the Law Society of British Columbia this week backed her claims of Indigenous heritage.
Major Canadian bank experiences direct deposit outage on payday
Scotiabank says it has fixed a technical issue that impacted direct deposits on Friday morning.