Help Me Hank: Help Me Hank! Disturbing debt

He drills. He hammers. From major renovations to the tiniest tweak at Channel 7, Cal's behind the scenes keeping things humming since 1946!
 
Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"You've seen them come and you've seen them go?"
 
Calvin Parker, 7News
"I think so."
 
Where there's something to fix, or attach, or remove, or create, Cal's there to do it.
 
Calvin Parker, 7News
"I don't like staying still, I like to move around."
 
But when he got this letter, all his years of experience could not fix it. This debt collection notice insisted he owed $76 in selling fees to an online auction company.
 
Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"How did you know this wasn't you?"
 
Calvin Parker, 7News
"Because I don't have any computer."
 
Yup he can use a screwdriver or a drill and of course the phone, but a computer? No.
 
Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"Do you have email?"
 
Calvin Parker, 7News
"No."
 
Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"Do you do word processing?"
 
Calvin Parker, 7News
"No."
 
Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"Video games, online games?"
 
Calvin Parker, 7News
"It's all Greek to me. I don't know."
 
But in plain English, he knew this bill was wrong.
 
Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"Were you concerned about this?"
 
Calvin Parker, 7News
"I wasn't really concerned, I just thought someone had made a foolish mistake."
 
So he used the phone that he's comfortable with, and told the debt collectors the deal.
 
Calvin Parker, 7News
"I said tell me what it is that I was supposed to have bought or sold. And they said well we don't know, we just collect the bill."
 
And then they hammered home the bottom line.
 
Calvin Parker, 7News
"They said they wanted the money."
 
He knew the bill wasn't his but the problem sure was. Cal couldn't fix it himself but he knew who could.
 
Calvin Parker, 7News
"I'll ask Hank, she'll know what to do."
 
We called the company and explained, Cal doesn't have or use a computer, so the bill can't be real. Hmm they said, let us track this down. And since they do know about computers it wasn't difficult. Their bottom line whoever set up the account was in California. What's more their investigation found, someone had swiped Cal's personal information. Cal was off the hook and the debt was dismissed.
 
Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"Now that this has gone away, what do you think?"
 
Calvin Parker, 7News
"I think that's fine, next time I have a problem, I'll know who to come to!"
 
And he says he's still sticking with his old tools of the trade.
 
Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"Do you think you'll ever get a computer?"
 
Calvin Parker, 7News
"Probably not."
 
Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
How the bad guys got Cal's info, that, the company's still investigating. A contest entry? A magazine subscription? A letter stolen from his mailbox? It's another reminder to keep your personal info private. If you're fighting a consumer battle, maybe I can help. Just go to whdh.com and click on "Help Me Hank."

(Copyright 2008 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)