Paypal collections

[farang]

I received a collections letter for a debt owed to Paypal. Earlier this year I noticed 3 fraudulent charges on a checking account and they were from Paypal totaling $90. I called Paypal to question the charges and it was an account that was just opened that day and somehow they had my debit card information tied to that account. The bank ended up removing the fraudulent charges and I thought it was over. Now Paypal tells me that I need to file a police report for the incident in order to cancel the collection.

Is it really necessary for a police report? I have free legal services through my employer and was thinking of letting them handle it.

[WhoCares1000]

How hard is it to file a police report in Ohio. Here, I call the non-emergency line, a community officer (someone who does not carry a gun and primarily does work with public events, parking tickets, accidents, and non-emergency reports) is sent to your home or place of business take the report and in a day or 2, you can pick up the report from the police station. It will be a lot easier than trying to fight a collector.

Otherwise, if this is a 3rd party collector (not Paypal), then you need to learn the FDCPA if you plan to fight them all the way.

[Harry Seaward]

10 hours ago, farang said:

Is it really necessary for a police report?

If PayPal says it is, i would say it is. A police report is the only way a creditor has to establish the credibility of a fraudulent charge. Otherwise everyone could open a credit account, run up $8k in debts and say "wasn't me." Even with a police report, it's no guarantee it's actually fraud. It's just that creditors know the average consumer trying to pull a 'fast one' on a creditor will back away from the "wasn't me" schtick when they realize the police need to be involved. 

In any event someone committed a crime against you. Reporting it provides several benefits to you and the public in general.