Information Phishing via Phone?

[Gurm]

So last night I was a dumbass.

I get a phone call, it was from "unknown caller". I shouldn't have even picked it up, but we get a lot of these. Fine.

Voice: "Is Jason Goldovitz there?"

Me: "Speaking..."

Voice: "Hello sir, this is UPS calling, we tried to do a Saturday delivery to your address and there was a problem, we need to redeliver tomorrow."

Me: "Ok..."

Voice: "You are at <my address>, yes?"

Me: "Yes."

Voice: "Odd, he said he tried to deliver, but you should have been notified or gotten the package if you were there. Can we redeliver tomorrow?"

Me: "I'll be at work tomorrow, can someone else sign for it?"

Voice: "Well since it was overnight we can deliver it to you at work if you can get packages."

Me: "Uh, who is this from?"

Voice: "Northeastern University."

Now THIS is where I got stupid. See, I was expecting a package about my student loans. Doing consolidation and all. So I assumed it was this package, that WAS my college after all!

Me: "Oh, ok. You want my work address?"

Voice: "Yes, please."

Me: "Ok, it's... <work address>"

Voice: "Ok great, do you have a phone number there? And they'll know how to find you when we show up?"

Me: "Yes, it's <my cell phone number>."

Voice: "Ok, sir thanks. We'll get that back out in the morning."

.........

So today I didn't get a package at work. I got home, and there was the package I expected, delivered through USPS to my home address and left without a signature. Uh-oh. I call UPS, and they have no record of any packages headed to this address OR my work address. *sigh*

So, I suspect this was some kind of "fishing for information" deal. But honestly, who would be deceitful like that? Not creditors, they don't have to be. They can sue me. Not student loan people, I'm already working with them. I mean, maybe someone trying to find out where I work... but for what purpose? Nothing was stolen, so it wasn't someone trying to find out when I would and wouldn't be at home. Maybe trying to figure out if I was employed for the sake of... trying to garnish my wages? They can try, I suppose, but I'm not that far in debt to anyone.

I'm just a bit confused/worried/suspicious.

Any thoughts? Normally I am NEVER this stupid/trusting. I must have been tired, off my game, or just plain dumb!

[Gurm]

Followup 1:

Call me paranoid, but I've ordered up a credit report (it'll suck, don't know why anyone would impersonate me for my credit) and already notified my bank who are changing my numbers and issuing new cards.

Should I notify the local authorities, do you think?

[Jammrock]

The police can't do anything unless you have a name or suspicious activity. Even then it's pretty limited. As long as you put a warning on your credit report and notify the appropriate people you should be safe.

[Gurm]

The police can't do anything unless you have a name or suspicious activity. Even then it's pretty limited. As long as you put a warning on your credit report and notify the appropriate people you should be safe.

That's what I figured. I mean, the only thing I worry about is wage garnishment or identity theft. The latter... who wants an identity that owes $100k in student loans between two people? And the former... who but the feds could garnish? *shrug*

[Gurm]

Followup #2: It was my father's fault.

Someone called him a couple days ago, claiming to be delivering something, and it was early and he wasn't thinking so he gave them my number and address.

Usually those calls are some creditor looking to score my verified information so they can send me a "you owe me"-gram. I'm WAY less worried now, but still keeping an eye on my credit report. Grr...

[MultimediaMan]

Jason,

What the creditor did is a kind of pretexting and it is very likely illegal. Not illegal under any specific statute designed to stop the practice but it would probably fall within the Unfair & Deceptive Trade Practices Act(s). It is illegal for any business entity to impersonate another for any purposes.

There has been no definitive court test , but you can be sure there will be one before the year is out.

I still have one creditor who calls about a very old and very questionable "debt" from Macy's. They successfully used this very tactic on my parents to get to me.

When confronted, they hung up. Creditors do not hesitate to use this tactic to find you, but fold if confronted on it. Oddly enough, I somehow doubt that these conversations end up being recorded.

[Gurm]

Jason,

What the creditor did is a kind of pretexting and it is very likely illegal. Not illegal under any specific statute designed to stop the practice but it would probably fall within the Unfair & Deceptive Trade Practices Act(s). It is illegal for any business entity to impersonate another for any purposes.

There has been no definitive court test , but you can be sure there will be one before the year is out.

I still have one creditor who calls about a very old and very questionable "debt" from Macy's. They successfully used this very tactic on my parents to get to me.

When confronted, they hung up. Creditors do not hesitate to use this tactic to find you, but fold if confronted on it. Oddly enough, I somehow doubt that these conversations end up being recorded.

Yes, this is what I turned up after some research. Now what's odd is that once they FOUND me they kept up the ruse. Once I clearly identified myself, you'd think they'd want to talk about the debt!

[cjolley]

Yes, this is what I turned up after some research. Now what's odd is that once they FOUND me they kept up the ruse. Once I clearly identified myself, you'd think they'd want to talk about the debt!

Unless it is a sub-contractor who just finds info.
They may not even know what the debt is, if any.

[MultimediaMan]

There was still an illegal tactic used for the purpose of obtaining infromation: It is against the law for any business entity to impersonate another for any purpose.

[cjolley]

Which is why a real company might use a contractor to do it's dirty work.
That way the contractor could just sort of evaporate if the heat was turned on.

"We a shocked, shocked I say, to find that there are illegal collection activities going on in this establishment!"