I Was a Student in Dubai and Now I’m Being Threatened by Debt Collectors. – Haima

“Dear Jon,

I was a student in a university in dubai.When I opened an account for fee transfers with Emirates bank, they forced me to take a credit card with 4000 limit and 0% interest for 6 months and free for life they said.I took that and seldom used.Total used is less than 3000.I paid more than minimum every month.once i lost job and dint pay for 6 months.when i was employed again as my salary transfer was to Emirates,they used to deduce the amount they like.I visited them and made it an installmebt of aed 460 per month which i payed over a year which covered lot more than debt.I lost my job again and went back to home country thinking that they will not disturb me further.Now after 6 yrs a debt collection agency called fsg is mailing and torturing me for this.I am totally upset as I am a mother and housewife and leading a simple life in dubai.They threaten telling that bank will file interpol case and travel ban and am scared to death due to this.The y insisted to pay aed 21000 in one shot.But I have payd it entirely in 2009.

Please advice whether the bank can go for a case? Please advise can they put a travel bann ?Do i need to speak to this debt collectors who is asking for a fancy amount of 21000 for a debt i payed a lot more than the actual amount ?the bank never contacted me for this neither they dont have a cheque that i issued.they had made me sign a cheque that was sticked to application form.can they use it against me.remember I was under 21 years when they forced to me to sign it.

Haima”

Haima,

What is the balance on the credit card at this time?

What country are you now living in?

When you state forced to take out the credit card, what do you mean, what duress were you under?

Can you afford to make payments or pay the debt?

Can you prove/document what you have paid on the account?

Unfortunately if there is still a balance on the account, the bank may try to collect it, or in this instance may have passed the debt onto a collection firm.

You can contact the police or a solicitor in the town you used to live in to inquire if a warrant has been issued against you. If one has been issued, then returning to that area is not a wise move, unless you can afford to repay the debt.

As for a travel ban or reporting you to Interpol, these may just be threats, and Interpol is not going to get involved in a debt case. But traveling through the area if a warrant has been issued could prove to be a problem.

Get back to me and we can look more into this.

Regards,

Jon

Jon Emge is an experienced UK debt advisor who has helped thousands and thousands of people in the UK to deal with problem debt. Jon specialises in finding good solutions for problem debt using a variety of UK specific techniques.

If you have a question you’d like to ask about how to get out of UK debt, just use the online form. I’m happy to help you for free.