[deleted]

Sounds like this comes pretty close to criminal harassment.

Do you know the name of the company and do you know for sure that it is a collection company?

If you do, the first step might be to the Better Business Bureau, if there's one in Victoria, or the chamber of commerce, some of which offer business mediation services.

If not, or if the first steps fail, just go to the police and file a complaint.

Then you could see a lawyer. The first visit is usually free. He or she can outline what you might be able to do and probably give you an idea of the costs involved.

Why would you call the police? They would do nothing anyway. Call your telephone provider like Telus (or whoever you use) and lay a harassment complaint. They will block the number from your number and end it all. I've done it before with Telus with no issues.

The Better Business Bureau is also a waste of time. If they take your complaint seriously, they may note that there was a complaint against the business--or not.

I had something similar about 10 years ago. They actually claimed that the person that they were looking for lived with me. In the end I had to get a lawyer to get them to back down. It was a year of harassment!

If they are truly a collection agency, they will have to give you information. Before you deny being the deadbeat in question, ask who they are collecting on behalf of, the amount they are collecting, where their offices are, how they can be reached, names, business number, etc.

If they truly want to 'collect', you should be able to find out enough about them to lay a harassment suit.

Or you may discover they are not a collection agency, and most likely phishing for your personal information.

Google collection agency laws - Google Search (http://www.google.ca/search?q=collection+agency+laws&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari) there seems to be a lot of information. Maybe something about how to get rid of them.

Are you on the do not call list?

File a complaint:

https://www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/pfac-fcca-eng

Adding my number to the do not call list was the biggest mistake of my cel phone life.

All of a sudden I was a live mark for any number of overseas scams.

Having said that, when a Canadian telemarketer calls you, you can ask to added to their do not call list (which lasts longer than "please remove my number")

Are you on the do not call list?

File a complaint:

https://www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/pfac-fcca-eng

Dont fill it out, I did and had nothing but kumar and his cousins from overseas, trying to sell me credit card rates and merchant business service. - what a joke of a list.

I've been on the DNCL for 3 years now, and it hasn't changed anything.

I never get calls on my VoIP line, and I get one or two a year on my cell.

I've been on the DNCL for 3 years now, and it hasn't changed anything.

I never get calls on my VoIP line, and I get one or two a year on my cell.

I program my sip router to block numbers - wish I could do it for my cell phone too.

My suggestion was to file a complaint. Not to join the DNCL and expect instant results.

Every complaint is investigated. As the OP has said it is a 604 number, so very likely an investigation will not be a waist of time (not an overseas telemarketer, etc.) and the collection agency will get a fine.

The DNCL has been a boondoggle for sure but the fines are substantial, legit businesses who do business over the phone in Canada do fear the fines. Ask any realtor...

Every complaint is investigated. As the OP has said it is a 604 number, so very likely an investigation will not be a waist of time (not an overseas telemarketer, etc.) and the collection agency will get a fine.

Spoofing phone numbers is a fairly easy thing to do. Just because it shows up as a 604 number, doesn't mean the call originated from that area code.

Even if this collection agency is legit, it may be very difficult to get them to back down--saying that the collection agency is calling the wrong person is a pretty common lie.

I had some agency calling me up looking for Faisal Ram for quite a while. Kept either hanging up or ignoring the call. Eventually, they just stopped calling.

If you can get their info a lawyer's letter works quite well aswell.

The caller is required to give you the basic information, such as the company they are calling from, their phone number and physical address.

In the case of a collection agency, they are obligated to stop calling when they have been informed that the person is not at this number or that you demand written contact only.

Get their address and a file or case number, and send written notification to them that the person is not at this phone number and you will not accept any further calls.

BC consumer protection laws
Harassment by Debt Collectors (http://www.cba.org/bc/public_media/credit/252.aspx)

"Your first choice is to complain
Start by asking to speak with the supervisor at the debt collection agency. If that gets you nowhere, you can complain to Consumer Protection BC. They can provide you with information on how to address the complaint directly with the debt collector. If the unreasonable collection behaviour continues, the Authority may investigate and can take steps against the debt collector or creditor. To make a complaint, call Consumer Protection BC at 1.888.564.9963 (toll-free).

Your second choice is to only accept written communications
If the nature or frequency of the collection telephone calls is upsetting you and the calls won’t stop, you can request that all future communication be in writing only. It’s an offence if a debt collector doesn’t follow your request. You should put your request in writing and keep a copy for your records.

What if you’re contacted about a debt that isn’t yours?
If you’re contacted about a debt that isn’t yours, contact the collection agency to let them know that you are not the debtor. If the calls continue, you can contact Consumer Protection BC, who can assist you."

Also, if you process a complaint to the CRTC, then Telus is obligated to open a case and respond to you in writing.
Unsolicited Telemarketing rules Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules (http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/trules-reglest.htm) Note that Account collection calls are NOT considered to be unsolicited and don't fall under these rules. But they could be harassing, which would be grounds for a CRTC complaint.