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Harry Gross: Debt-ducking son caught by online sting gets no sympathy

Dear Harry: I have a son who has not followed my advice on keeping his credit house in order. He has been in trouble for a long time. He has even resorted to moving and using fake names to try to get off the hook. I have had to give him a credit bailout s

Dear Harry: I have a son who has not followed my advice on keeping his credit house in order. He has been in trouble for a long time. He has even resorted to moving and using fake names to try to get off the hook. I have had to give him a credit bailout several times, but no more. Yesterday, he called me for more money, and I turned him down. Tough love. However, he told me of a new Internet scam that might interest your readers. He does a lot of Facebook-ing and YouTube-ing. He is always looking to make female connections, so he responded to someone who had contacted him. When it came down to a meeting, he was trapped by a collector for one of his creditors who used the Internet to find "lost" debtors. I think it would be good to warn your readers about this new technique used by debt collectors.

What Harry says: I'm not on your side here. From where I stand, there is nothing unlawful or unethical in this attempt to find deadbeats. I admire the ingenuity of the collectors. After all, your son is hardly the victim where he has failed to pay legitimate debts and has used fake names, etc., to hide from his creditors. My advice to him is to use the energy he's losing by thinking of ways to escape his obligations in ways that will get his credit score into a respectable range. *

Write Harry Gross c/o the Daily News, 400 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19130. Harry urges all his readers to give blood: Contact the American Red Cross at 800-GIVE LIFE.