CAIR Consumer Alert: Harassing Debt Collection Calls to Non-Customers
CAIR has received reports of consumers being harassed by collection agents for accounts they do not own — including cases involving a major national furniture and appliance credit chain in Trinidad & Tobago, known for store cards and hire-purchase accounts.
Consumers report being contacted even though they:
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are not customers
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owe nothing
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never opened an account
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never authorised their phone number to be used as a reference
This practice is not only unethical — it can amount to harassment.
🔎 What’s the Issue?
Some businesses allow customers to list any phone number as a “reference” without verifying whether the number actually belongs to the person named.
As a result, innocent individuals receive persistent calls from:
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Customer Service Representatives
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Debt collectors
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Outsourced recovery agencies
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Attorneys acting on behalf of the company
In the United States, Consumer Reports and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have documented nearly identical cases, commonly known as wrong-number debt harassment.
⚠️ Why It’s a Serious Problem
Harassing the wrong person can cause:
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emotional stress and intimidation
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repeated interruption of work and daily life
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misuse of private contact information
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potential breaches of telecommunications and privacy laws
No consumer should be pressured, threatened, or harassed for an account they do not own.
🛑 Your Rights
If you receive these calls:
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State clearly that you are not the account holder.
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Demand that your number be removed immediately.
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Document each call — date, time, caller name, and phone number.
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Send a written cease-and-desist notice to the company.
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If calls persist, file a harassment complaint with:
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The TTPS
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The Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad & Tobago (TATT)
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📢 CAIR’s Position
CAIR strongly opposes unfair collection practices that target innocent individuals.
We urge companies — especially large furniture and appliance credit providers — to:
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verify references before using them
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update contact records immediately when notified
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ensure staff and agents do not harass non-customers
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implement stronger consumer data protections
If this is happening to you, you are not alone — and help is available.
Contact CAIR today:
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