I received a voicemail message today on a mobile phone that I just use for data. Only two close family members know its number.

It has a sim on a monthly rolling contract. My Equifax CRA file, via ClearScore, has an entry showing TalkTalk and the last 2 digits of the account number, but no details of the phone number.

The call was from 03445560216: "This is a private call from Cabot Financial. If you are available now, please press 1" ...pause for a few seconds... "This call was placed by Cabot Financial. We can be contacted on 03450700112."

Equidebt wrote to me over six years ago, soon offering 80% off. When they went out of business, Cabot took over. Last year, they wrote that they, Cabot, a debt collector, were passing my account to Ruthbridge, a debt collector. Serious stuff. Ruthbridge offered 70% off. Meanies. If I didn't take them up on this magnificent offer, they might, they wrote, return the account to Cabot, who might 'look at alternative activity'. Do they mean skullduggery?

Does anyone here have experience of this sort of thing, debt collectors getting hold of phone numbers unlawfully? Or is it just some kind of scattergun approach where they don't actually know who they're phoning?

I'm not really bothered, more curious. I just haven't got around to sending them the Limitation Act letter, which I used a couple of years ago on another matter to stop Robinson Way. Which was nice.

Ignore. Then if you get bored. Ignore again. Theyre just phishing

do yo know what behind it..the debt I mean …

and have you moved since taking it out?

yes obv its statute barred..but practically in E&W that means little if they feel they have a chance of a backdoor ccj.

sadly we are seeing a somewhat upward trend in unknown ccj's this last few years.

the full number will be available to the debt chasers for a small fee. Now their problem is they arent certain fo actually getting through to the right person, it could be an accout that you have for your children or aged mother, office etc and that is why they are being coy about not mentioning your name or any detail as to why they are calling. They dont care about it being possibly the wrong person as long as when they ask for details "to go through security" they can fill in their picture a little better. You would be surprised and dismayed about how much information your relatives will give away just because someone asks them.

Now that I understand how they will have accessed the mobile phone number, and why they phrased the call as they did, that answers my question very well. Thank you.

The account is a 13 year-old credit card one, with no payment or acknowledgement in that time.

I told National Debtline the full story some years ago and they recommended the statute barred letter, as did a member of another forum, shown there as a solicitor dealing in Consumer Credit Act cases.

I did send the statute barred letter to Robinson Way for another account a couple of years ago.

That had a similar history to this one.

After a wait of eight weeks, a little anxiety crept in, and I wondered if it might have been better to let sleeping dogs lie.

Then a letter arrived informing me they had closed the account.

Still, different credit card company, different debt collector, different claim value, different outcome?

You never know. I'm cautious.

I keep in touch with this forum and have seen the advice regarding unexpected CCJ applications, especially when there has been a change of address.

I don't take anything for granted regarding debt collectors, or Judges.

I think with this one, for the time being at least, I prefer to wait and see if they try to ramp things up from the usual begging letters.

It's quite interesting, really, a bit like a hobby.

Changed days from when I first registered here, when I was a nervous wreck and my heart would pound as I opened a letter from a debt collector.

So thanks to all who help with their calming advice.

Keep up the good work.

And before you ask, yes, I have made a financial donation to the site.

Don't make contact with them yet. If at all. If you do then they'll start the harassment campaign and could likely try legal action hoping you can be marked as gullible and don't know your legal rights.

Many people don't and that's how outfits like this stay in business.

you have a ref number?

pop up on the cabot website

should tell you.

I'm always on the lookout for cunning stunts from debt collectors and have no intention of encouraging them by making contact at this time in any way.

dont forget, it doesnt matter what they think or say, if it is SB then that is the end of it for them. It used to be the case that a dca would tell someoen that although the debt was dead their was a MORAL obligation for the person to pay them ( nothing to do with just trousering money for nothing) and for that reason they would continue to harass them despite the law saying otherwise. The FCA had somehting to say about this so that is less prevalent nowadays but not gone completely, esp with overseas based compaies.

Had one once rang and got heavy handed - so I stated I would report them to the Police, they just laughed = I turned around and made sure they heard and stated " Chief Inspector would you like to speak to the caller since we have his name and Number == Line went dead and heard no more from that company>LOL

anither one was - nasty call centre guy - I shouted any of our lads in the xxxx area? then said good we can get them to pay a visit to this chaps office and sort him out, phone went dead never heard any more there either, not used it since as do not answer the phone.