AFNI Collections (scam???)

[bmxfreakrider]

Today my dad got a letter in the mail from a "collection agency" stating that we owed $244.96 to verizon from 1997. now what gets me, is we never had verizon till late 99' and still have it now. i googled the place, its called "AFNI Collections" HOMEPAGE. There has been multiple instance where people have gotten letters from AFNI and have called it in, and my father did the same.

Heres what happend when my dad called:

***Calling
the thing that asks numbers to go to places. he hit 1(english)

Jeff: Youv'e reached AFNI Collections. This is jeff speaking. Your account number please
DAD: (insert account number here)
Jeff: Is this the Junior or Senior (dad/grandpa same name)
DAD: What is this regarding?
Jeff: We are a collection agency, working for verizon, for a bill from 1997, for the amount of $244.96, in the area code of 909-***-*** (ours is 760...not 909...909 we had AT&T)
DAD: Well, i don't beleive i have even had this phone number (starts looking thru past phone bills)
Jeff: So, how do you want to pay this? And is the the Jr. or Sr.?
DAD: (paused...thought scam, i think the same too) Well, this is the Jr.
Jeff: What is your mailing address so i can send the bill? And, what is your Social Security Number, and your Drivers Liscence ID?
DAD: Well, you already have it, i got your letter. Theres no way, all of my bills are paid. How can this be? I beleive this is a scam or somebody stole my identy.(as he is saying this, jeff is trying to talk over him...)
DAD: Theres no way I am going to give you any information over the phone.
Jeff: Well maybe you should file a police report.
DAD: Yea, right. From 1997? I wasn't born yesterday.
Jeff: Well if you have any complaints you should contact www.gov.com (not realy anything there...dosent look real)
***Call ended.

Google for it

and the weird(er) thing is, there is only about 7 people in the U.S. with our last name.

Comments?

 

[bum]

**** um, Don't pay and don't worry. Perhaps tipoff the FBI.

 

[bmxfreakrider]

my god man, the more i read, the more i find. ive found about 20 total cases, involving Sprint, Verizon, and Charter Communications. All have called in , and their carriers report no debts. kinda weird. ill find as much as i can, and post the links to the cases on here. ****, never know, tech-forums taking down a fraud company? TAKE THIS THREAD AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR *** AFNI!!!

One from sprint:

http://www2.sprint.com/mr/news_dtl.do?id=9960

 

[firemandave]

Man, I know what you're going through. My mom got one for an account with a company we've never done business with. We've lived in 760 since it was 619, and it was an account with AT&T they were claiming. I tried to explain to them that we never had an account with AT&T, and they wouldn't listen. So the next time they called, they got a whistle blown in their ear for their trouble.

 

[Keadonen]

see. when people like that/telemarketers phone me i just scream into the phone and hang up, if they call again they shouldn't expect a different reply.

 

[FireFox]

see. when people like that/telemarketers phone me i just scream into the phone and hang up, if they call again they shouldn't expect a different reply.

You do realize that half the time you're only talking to a machine, right?

Also, screaming into the phone takes more effort then what it's worth.

Also #2, your maturity is showing again.

 

[hillbillybob]

Sometimes collection agencies will farm out debt to another agency, in an effort to collect. I know in some states they can take you to court...if you owe. for a grand total of 250 dollars, I doubt they are going to take you to court. Besides, it could really be a scam. I hate debt collectors...if things are alright (you know you don't owe and can prove it, no prob.)

As consumers, we do have rights, and you may need to check with your specific state, but in kansas, as a consumer I have the right to request they don't call anymore, as long as they have my address. so on and so forth, etc. AND, you can check them against the Better Business Bureau. As a financial collections agency, they have to be registered.

 

[Sui]

http://www.creditinfocenter.com
Check the Statute of Limitations section, as this debt is probably uncollectable.