Q: I just received a letter claiming that I owe $10,000 on a debt
Since I am not even a U.S. citizen, do I have to pay it?
A:
It depends on what letter this is. Was there a court case and judgment against you (i.e. did a judge say you owe this amount of money?) What I often see is if someone was caught shoplifting, the store will hire a lawyer to send a letter saying the person owes 2 or 3 times the amount of the item stolen (e.g. $100 item stolen; letter asks for $300).
Such a letter looks official, but it just a voluntary request for money. The asker has not sued or otherwise proven to a court/judge that they are entitled to the money claimed. I almost always advise people to ignore these letters. Given the time and cost involved in actually suing, the chance of the store actually suing is exceedingly small.
Whether you are or are not a US citizen is not important. If you live in California, you can be sued here so long as court papers can be served upon you.
Hope that helps.
Andy
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