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
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests about relationship with Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they're now named Scouting America
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Rape, terror and death at sea: How a boat carrying Rohingya children, women and men capsized
In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 people from the overturned hull of a boat off the coast of Indonesia. Until now, little was known about why the boat capsized.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.