Neighbor got a weird phone call--Is this a scam?

[Orrex]

She lives directly across the street from me, and she came over this morning at about 10:00 to tell me of a strange phone call she'd just gotten.

She described the caller as a man with a "foreign" accent, though she confesses that she couldn't identify it more specifically. She couldn't understand his name or the name of his purported company, even after asking him to repeat it several times.

The weird thing is that he was looking for information about me, because he allegedly has legal papers for me. He asked her to verify my address, and she did, initially thinking that he might be driving up and down the street looking for me.

The additional weird thing is that anyone who might be looking for me, and who knows my real name, could easily find me, because I'm listed in the phone book! And I pay my taxes, so if the state is looking for me, they'd certainly know where I am, and they probably have my number. I also have no idea how they even connected my neighbor to me, aside from basic geography; I've never listed her as a reference on anything, I don't know her phone number, and for that matter I'm not even sure that I know her actual last name.

Shortly after speaking with my neighbor, I knocked on her door to ask a few more questions, and she suggested that I check the number via *69 on her phone. The result? The last call made to her number came in at 9:24AM today and originated at 0000000000. WTF?

So what's the deal? How did they connect me to her? What do you think they might be trying to accomplish? Is this a known scam? Were they scamming me? Or scamming her? Is there someone I should notify?

This probably sounds a little funny, and I admit that it's weird enough to be somewhat comical, but I'm also a bit concerned.


Any suggestions?

[Lyric]

1. Sounds like collection agency tactics.

I've heard of them contacting neighbors of people that they're trying to collect from.

[PeaceNikki]

2. Collection agency.

They are skiptracing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skiptrace

[NightWatcher]

3. it could have been a private investigator trying to verify if you are home

have you done anything that would have people watching you?
are you on worker's compensation?
have you done a slip fall or other claim?

are there any vehicles with tinted windows outside of your house? maybe something that looks like a work truck or a van.

[ceile]

4. Collection agency.

That has happenend to me before.

[AlCzervik]

5. Collection agency.

many years ago i worked for one, they're skiptracing you.

[Orrex]

6. Thank you, all, for your answers

That makes sense, because I have been less than aggressive in the paying off of one or two items over the years.

This will put my neighbor somewhat at ease, too. Thanks!

[old mark]

7. I had one of these guys calling me at work many years ago.

I found his home address in the phone book, drove by his home, and the next time he called me I described his house to him.

He never called me again.

mark

[Orrex]

8. Ooh--I like that!

I'll have to try to get this guy's name.

[applegrove]

9. I would be a little worried.

[Orrex]

10. Care to elaborate?

Or just worried in general?