conversation: User (gotmydadsname): "Hello,\nThanks in advance for any and all advice you guys have. The situation is that my father and I share the same name, and at one time he also shared the address where I currently live. He was/is bad with his finances and took out a boat load of debt(s) when he was living in the United States. \n\nSince then, my parents have separated, and my dad moved back to Europe (he was never a US citizen). He moved back there before I turned 18 and he and I do not really have any contact at all. \n\nHowever I have the same name as him, and my current address is on file for a lot of those debt collectors now. They've gotten my new (extremely recent) phone number as well. I got calls and mail about these debts quite a bit in the past, but then they calmed down for a bit and are now back in full force it feels like.\n\nI've got a great credit score, and I regularly check my credit report to make sure there's nothing on there. It's all clean, just student loans and that one credit card I have (which I treat like a debit card).\n\nSo my question is what do I do? Do I ignore them, knowing that these debts are in my father's name and were taken out long before I ever established credit/would have been able to even apply for them? Or do I call the number on this most recent attempt to collect this debt and tell them they got the wrong guy? Or some other option I've never even known about?\n\nThanks everyone, sorry for the novel.\n\ntl;dr: Share the same name with my dad who took out debts when I was a wee lad then peaced out to the EU, now those debt collectors are calling and sending me mail, what should I do? \n\nedit: spelling"
  Self: "If you write them a letter and tell them to stop calling they are required by law to stop. I would not give them much details, just basic... at that matters is you tell them wrong person and stop contacting you.\n\nKeep a record of everything, if they still call or write you then you can sue them for $1000 attorney's fees.\n\nDear Debt Collector:\n\nYou must have me mixed up with someone else with the same name because I don't have any outstanding debts. I was born in 1995 (don't even give them your real age, just something close so they get the idea it's the wrong person). Never call me again at 555-1212 and never send me anything in the mail at 123 Main St."
  User (gotmydadsname): "Thanks! Just to be clear though, I haven't done that in the past, I am not going to get in trouble or anything with them, will I? I know that sounds paranoid, but honestly I don't deal much with creditors/collectors as I've been pretty responsible with my own finances. \nThanks so much again for the advice though! I'll draft that up. "
  Self: "It's your legal right to tell debt collectors to stop contacting you. Iit's not illegal to tell them "You have me mixed up with someone else with the same name" especially if that's true."
  