How can I verify if a debt collector who calls me is trying to scam me or if it is a real debt?

Here is a link to your rights with debt collectors. However this type of behavior is normally associated with scam artists who don't care about complying with the law. Example, you ask for a mailing address to send a dispute letter. Answer: we don't have to give you our address. This is not the behavior of a legitimate debt collector. But check out your rights below.

Online loan applications are ripe for being sold to unscrupulous brokers. The best way to verify whether or not the debt is valid is to request that the caller send you written documentation of the debt. Asking the caller for a physical address is also a way to ferret out scam artists; if they aren't willing to give a real address - not just a P.O Box - then it is likely the debt is not legitimate.

If you "know for a fact" that you have paid all of your debts, then the person calling you must be a scam. You can also ask for a physical address and send the debt collector a letter telling them not to contact you any further. If they refuse to provide a physical address or they continue to contact you, then they are not acting in accordance with federal law. Most online payday loans are not legal in most states in any event, so there is a high likelihood that there is no creditor who can successfully sue you. Your best bet is probably to ignore the calls. You can report the debt collector to the FTC, but they may not even be located in the United States.

The Colorado Attorney General licenses collection agencies in the State of Colorado, with a few exceptions for debt collectors who only use interstate means to collect in Colorado. A PDF document with all collection agencies licensed in Colorado may be found at http://coag.gov/sites/default/files/contentuploads/cp/ConsumerCreditUnit/InternetReports/cabreport.pdf. Attorneys are licensed by the Colorado Supreme Court and can be verified at https://www.coloradosupremecourt.com/Search/AttSearch.asp. The Colorado Attorney General also posts consumer alerts as they find out about ongoing scams at http://www.stopfraudcolorado.gov/publications. If you still cannot locate the agency, the next time they call ask them for their mailing address so you can send a letter disputing debt under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Once you dispute the debt, the debt collector must stop all collection efforts until he or she mails the consumer a copy of the judgment or verification of the debt. If they are a legitimate, they will send you proof of what they are trying to collect.