I was unaware that I had any debt until I started receiving mysterious text messages asking me to contact 'Probe Group'. They send a message and then make you call back, leaving you on hold for upwards of an hour.
I received youth allowance many years ago whilst I was a medical student. I now work at a busy inner-city hospital and of course I haven't updated any contact details because I must have moved five or six times since I received any kind of government support from Centrelink (although my address has been current for tax purposes).
After this group began contacting me I managed to log into my old myGov account and discover a debt for around $780. I have no idea how the arrived at this amount. My requests for a copy of the assessment letter/a reassessment have been ignored by Centrelink thus far.
Probe group have continued to chase me although I have now said to them twice that I will deal with Centrelink directly only. Last night (at 19:27 on the 7th of February) Probe Group rang my phone from a private number, rather than sending their usual vague text and the voice on the other end stated 'This is the department of human services'. I questioned the caller and he admitted yes, he was actually from Probe Group. I have done some quick searching and a I believe a Probe Group employee representing himself as DHS to be illegal. I am going to take a complaint about this tactic to the financial ombudsman.
The government has been completely silent thus far when I have asked for information about why I must now deal with an aggressive offshore debt collector. If I owe money I am happy to pay my debts, I just want to be sure that they are actually real debts and from everything I've read about this debt scam so far that seem unlikely. I'm busy and would rather not have to take the time and energy to fight this battle but that doesn't mean I won't fight for what's right. What really bother me about this situation isn't how it effects me, it's how it effects the community.
Everyday at my hospital we see patients in crisis. People struggling with drug addiction, mental illness and poverty. As a highly educated and confident professional I know that it can be stressful to deal with debt collectors and difficult to understand your rights. So then, how does a person on a pension with no social support, education, or access to legal advice deal with aggressive debt collectors suddenly breathing down their neck out of nowhere?
There is no doubt in my mind that this colossal mistake on the part of the department of human services is pushing people into crises which may result in drug binges and deterioration in mental health. The people who will ultimately have to assist the disadvantaged in our community are the hospitals, legal aid and community workers who dedicate their time to helping those in need. This in turn will use taxpayer resources and government money. I've heard reports that people have been driven to suicide over this policy, which is entirely plausible. When you consider that these debts are falsified in the first instance it's nothing short of shameful.