Debt collectors calling the wrong man

A man in Duncan, South Carolina, hates answering his phone because debt collectors are constantly calling him. However, they aren't looking for Ray Metler. He told WSPA-TV that at least six different companies call his home around the clock, even on Sunday mornings when he is trying to sleep, looking for a woman he has never heard of. This has been going on for the last 18 months. Metler doesn't want to change his phone number, so he finally went to the Better Business Bureau for help. "The best thing to do is ask the debt collector for an address so that you can send a certified letter to them stating you are not the person they have contacted and they need to cease any further contact," Tammy Dankovich of the Upstate Better Business Bureau, told the news source. Dankovich also suggests that Metler, and other consumers in his position, check their credit reports to make sure the erroneous calls are not due to identity theft. After the recent economic recession, many consumers fell behind on bills and other payments. However, according to the Federal Trade Commission, debt collectors may not harass, use false statements, oppress or abuse when they contact people who owe money.