Welcome to Australia.
A few years ago i applied to my bank for a car loan only to be told i had a debt recorded in my name from 3 years earlier.I had lived in the same property 5 years and had never had any letters or knowledge of this.I got a credit report sent to me to find out who the debt was from and called the bailiff company listed which was in the same suburb as me.
The lady on the phone was outright rude and wouldn't tell me anything but arranged for a bailiff to call round.
A bailiff came round and was invited in to sort this out where he went about writing down, TV,car,furniture etc.I asked him to tell me who the debt was owed to and how much.He said $1000 to a old girlfriend who said i owed her for half of a holiday.The lady (i use the term loosely) in question had been told our relationship was over and she attempted to repair the relationship by booking a holiday and sending me the ticket which i sent back and said no thanks we have been over more than a few months.
So unbeknown to me she filed a debt against me to go to court which no paperwork was ever served.They did not want to know anything about the 3 years later where i was unaware all that time of the debt against my name which had incurred costs over the years ? bringing the final debt to $1500 which i was told if i didn't pay within 7 days would be more.
In hindsight i should of sought legal advice but just payed it to make it all go away.Then had to go to court to get her to drop the debt even though i had receipt from the bailiff for much more than the so called debt.
This is Australia where anything can happen and does.