"DO NOT give them your name or any personal information because they will put your name on the bill that they are trying to collect if they cant find the original debetor"
ok.... i dont know who would do this, but, maybe i should tell you there is very little chance of someone taking your PHONE NUMBER and adding a debt that is not yours on to your credit history... did you even think before you submitted that? ok, i understand the whole identity theft issue, but this kind of paranoia prevents some people from doing the right thing.
if you are called and you know that you are not the debtor, simply put, correct whoever is calling you immediately, that prevents you from getting any more calls on purpose.
i say on purpose because every so often call centers mk mistakes, it is not your problem and it is inconvenient, but it is a mistake.
also, when collection agencies call you, it doesn't cost you. that is the gravest misconception i come across. these companies pay thousands of dollars a month to call numbers listed with various companies and registries.
also, how would you feel if a collector tells you they are taking legal action in regards to an account that you don't owe, oh, and might i add, it costs you way too long to even get this any where near a court, i mean there's the legal fees, the fees to the court, gas money to drive to and from the court and your attorney ( cause you will be doing quite a lot of that believe me). not to mention, the fee you will have to pay if it is found out that you weren't taking legal action at the time you said you were. all in all, the easiest way to solve this problem, if its absolutely not your debt, request a cease calls. don't be rude, just say i'm not the debtor, stop calling me, at the end of the day, we're people first collectors after (i sound like some kind of debt collector defender .... man, do i get a theme song lol)