An administrative error meant that pensioners were subjected to a letters campaign from one collection firm.
A case of mistaken identity on the part of a debt collector has been uncovered.
Two pensioners have endured 14 letters from Aktiv Kapital demanding to recover the debts of a "Miss AJP", the Daily Mail reports. However, the couple said that they have no connection with the woman who owes money and repeatedly asked the collection firm to stop contacting them.
The pair alerted Citizens Advice, local Trading Standards, the police and even their MP about their problem in order to get help - but the letters kept coming. "We are pensioners and receiving such letters does not help our health problems," they told the newspaper.
"We fear our address is blacklisted … We initially returned the letters marked 'not known'. Then we phoned and sent letters by recorded delivery pointing out that we are the only family which has lived here since the house was built in 1967."
When contacted by the Daily Mail, Aktiv Kapital said that the "Miss AJP" demands had been sent out by mistake - and that an administrative error was to blame. They offered compensation of £150 for inconvenience caused and assured the pensioners that they would not be contacted again.
Latest figures from Credit Action suggest that debt remains a big problem in the UK. Total collective personal debts come to almost £1.5 trillion - meaning that each UK household owes on average £10,000 in unsecured credit and £60,000 including mortgages.
