Thread by @JoRigby_Balham

Sharing a scam that I fell for emotionally but thankfully not financially.

I hope that it helps anyone else being targeted.

It starts with a series of emails across the summer from Capquest. I thought they were ads & deleted them.

Last week I got this email.

This one did panic me as it suggested something escalated.

I've never used Shop Direct but got concerned that my credit history would be impacted.

I called the number.

I told them that my name wasn't Joan.

They asked me to send proof, so foolishly I sent a copy of my driving licence.

I then got this email.

2006?

I asked what I was supposed to have bought. 'We don't have that information'.

I told them I was married back then & had a different surname.

Yes, I was daft enough to send proof. But by then he was telling me that this wouldn't go away.

I have an absolute fear of debt. Maybe through growing up in the 80's when repossessions were happening all around.

And I got completely panicked by this.

I did what I always do & called my dad. ❤️

He was a few pints in at the local curry house back home but did what all dads do & sorted it.

He worked in commercial debt recovery & knew that debts over 6 years can't be collected. He gave me the wording for further contact 'cease & desist communication'

It was when I felt less stressed about this that I noticed the "unsubscribe" on the emails.

This is some kind of mailing list scam.

When you call the number you speak to lovely people with kind Scottish accents. But the entire thing is to panic people with a 'debt' so low that you might just pay it to make them go away.

When I was telling him it wasn't my debt he was trying to set up a payment plan.

I hope this helps anyone else receiving emails from this company.

It completely ruined the week for me as I was so scared of this debt that wasn't mine escalating into a bigger thing.