NOT FRAUD
Complaint
NONE
Country: United States
AFNI IS REAL AND NOT A FRAUD. IF YOU WOULD NOT HAVE RACKED UP THE BILL YOU WOULD NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT. YOU MAKE THE BILL YOU NEED TO PAY IT THAT IS HOW LIFE WORKS. SO PAYING YOUR FREAKIN BILLS YOU DUMB IGNORANT PEOPLE.
Comments
http://www.Complaintsboard.com/
complaintwire.org
ripoffreport.com
http://public.findlaw.com
THIS IS HOW YOU HANDLE THEM
Be aware of the following. DO NOT CALL THEM !!!! They will track your phone number and harass you. Those that have called confirmed that they send a Fraud / Dispute Resolution package when you call to complain. The package arrives in about two weeks later.
IN this package AFNI requests you to include: a copy of my driver license, a copy of my Social Security Card and/or proof of citizenship (copy of birth certificate or naturalization papers), proof of residence at the time the account was established utility bill, bank statement, tax document or the like, a copy of police report or ID theft affidavit, and any other documentation that might assist AFNI investigate the claim.
They use this as a fishing expedition to gather more information on you. DO NOT CALL DO NOT SEND THEM INFORMATION!! Correspond with them via USPS ONLY and keep a record of it Return receipt requests /certified mail(which is further explain below, the instructions and form letter are below too). USPS is better because AFNI is too afraid to face federal charges for mail fraud. Please click on the links below for further information.
You can also call the credit report companies (transunion, experian and equifax) to get a free credit report and take steps to protect your credit.
I suggest reporting them to DCA (department of consumer affairs) IN YOUR STATE, State Attorney general, FTC (Federal trades commission) Dateline NBC and post this information anywhere you can to stop them.
Dont be surprised if they send a similar notice to someone in your home as well!
The information below was provided by yet another victim- I found it to be useful. GOODLUCK!
Registrant: Make this info private
Afni
404 Brock Drive
Bloomington, IL 61701
US
Domain Name: AFNICOLLECTIONS.COM
Administrative Contact :
Angelo, Alan
alanangelo@afninet.com
404 Brock Drive
Bloomington, IL 61701
US
Phone: 309-820-2918
Technical Contact :
Network Solutions, LLC.
customerservice@networksolutions.com
13861 Sunrise Valley Drive
Herndon, VA 20171
US
Phone: 1-888-642-9675
Fax: 571-434-4620
Record expires on 28-Feb-2012
Record created on 28-Feb-2002
Database last updated on 22-Jun-2006
I took a look online and found an excellent website that details how to query this. Here is the link to the form letter that you need to send Afni Inc. Once they receive this they will most likely lose interest or sell the collection on to another agency. If they break the rules you can report them to your state Attorney General, FTC and the Better Business Bureau and use the fact in small claims court :-
http://fair-debt-collection.com/Disputing_Col ... ute-letter.html
Here is the link for the procedure you need to follow to ensure you have documented proof that you have mailed the dispute letter :-
http://www.fair-debt-collection.com/Disputing ... structions.html
Here is an exert from the Form Letter :-
==========================================
Be advised that I am fully aware of my rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. For instance, I know that:
· because I have disputed this debt in writing within 30 days of receipt of your dunning notice, you must obtain verification of the debt or a copy of the judgment against me and mail these items to me at your expense;
· you cannot add interest or fees except those allowed by the original contract or state law.
· you do not have to respond to this dispute but if you do, any attempt to collect this debt without validating it, violates the FDCPA;
Also be advised that I am keeping very accurate records of all correspondence from you and your company including recording all phone calls and I will not hesitate to report violations of the law to my State Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau.
I have disputed this debt; therefore, until validated you know your information concerning this debt is inaccurate. Thus, if you have already reported this debt to any credit-reporting agency (CRA) or Credit Bureau (CB) then, you must immediately inform them of my dispute with this debt. Reporting information that you know to be inaccurate or failing to report information correctly violates the Fair Credit Reporting Act § 1681s-2. Should you pursue a judgment without validating this debt, I will inform the judge and request the case be dismissed based on your failure to comply with the FDCPA.
KNowledge is power- dont take any wooden nickels!!!
1) Most consumers are complaining that they have been sent a collection letter for an account that is not theirs, that they do not owe. Some report they have received a collection letter on accounts that were already paid, or for disputed amounts that the original creditor agreed to reverse, and some have reported that they have even verified with the original creditor that the disputed amount was in fact reversed and that no amount is due.
2) The rate of complaints against AFNI, as seen on complaint sites, including BBB.ORG, has shot way up since the beginning of 2007. Complaint levels on several different sites have increased by hundreds since the beginning of 2007. Several TV stations have recently done stories on problems with AFNI. Despite the numerous recent complaints, however, AFNI's collection tactics have not changed in response to the many consumer complaints that they are attempting to collect on accounts that are not owed. They have, however, joined BBB, who somehow rates them "satisfactory" despite the large increase in BBB complaints.
3) Most of these alleged accounts are old, many over 10 years old, not legally reportable under FCRA, and most state SOLs have expired. Many are alleged Verizon accounts, or other old telecom accounts. There are still reports that AFNI collection agents have claimed that consumers' credit will be damaged if they do not pay.
4) When they dispute it as "not theirs", demanding validation, AFNI seldom sends any "validation" actually obtained from the original creditor, if it sends anything at all, yet still attempts to collect. Many consumers report receiving a letter claiming they cannot validate, while still demanding identity documentation and police reports substantiating "identity theft" on an alleged account that AFNI has provided no proof or documentation of.
5) AFNI collection agents generally attempt to divert consumer disputes to their website, avoiding provable delivery by certified mail of validation requests in accordance with FDCPA. Some consumers report that their website only provides options to pay, or requires disclosure of private identity information before even allowing disputing the debt. FDCPA places no such requirement on disputing or requesting validation of debts.
6) Many consumer complaints regarding "accounts" they do not owe strangely include that some of the AFNI information is partly "correct". For example, part of the alleged account name may be correct, slightly erroneous (spelling, or first or middle name), or using a name such as a maiden name that they had once used but did not use at the time AFNI claims the alleged account was opened. Others report that the account address matches a past address, or maybe just a city they lived in, but not during the period they lived there, or the alleged phone number is not any phone number they had. Several report "accounts" allegedly opened when they were minors and had had no phone in their name.
7) Many report that AFNI has their correct SSN and DOB, even when other account information does not match, and even when Verizon or other original creditors report no accounts or no delinquent accounts under their name or SSN. In some cases, consumers report that AFNI alleges the account is owed by them but with a mish-mash of their identity, mixed with the identities of another relative. AFNI has claimed in such cases that this is "identity theft", and demanded that the consumer either pay or file a complaint against a relative, even though AFNI still fails to provide validation, yet a number of consumers report that they do not believe this claim is credible.
In short, the overall picture presented is of attempts to collect thru blind matching of names, or even only addresses, in an attempt to collect from anyone who might owe, or be convinced to pay, old "accounts" that may or may not even be owed. This results in many consumers having to deal with bogus collection claims on accounts they have no clue about. In addition, AFNI appears to have access to SSN and DOB information on whoever they send collection letters to, from sources separate from account information received from original creditors (perhaps credit reports or other databases), and they use that information to "substantiate" their collection claims.
Having sent out collection letters with little attempt to ensure accuracy of identification, they none-the-less attempt to coerce payment even on disputed debts. Cases like yours, where you didn't even use the name when the alleged account was opened, reveal their tactics, and attempting to collect anyway shows they are quite happy to collect from consumers who don't owe anything.
Did you verify with Cingular that there were NO delinquent accounts under your SSN?
Did Afni claim to have your SSN and DOB?
Did they pull your credit reports?
Did they place a collection account on your credit reports?
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
I am ready to support or participate in any form of class actions against these low-life, bottom-feeders and put them away.
California
Violation of FDCPA for threatening to "report your case to the credit bureau", which most consumers would assume implies damage to their credit. It is illegal to put a debt from 1999 on credit reports, since that is over 7 years ago. Report this threat to both FTC and IL AG.
"The SSN is mine, not my mother's. I called them and they said they could not talk to me since its was in my mother's name, so my mother called and they told her she owed this amount. ... the phone is in my son's name, not my mother's name nor mine. So the bill is bogus. Verizon could not find any service in Miami during that time except cell phones, which I have through Cingular and not Verizon."
It would appear that although you can determine that no such account is in either you mother's name, your name, or your son's name, with verification from Verizon, they still managed to attach your mother's name to the account, and your SSN. Both you, and your mother would be wise to pull your credit reports to first verify that, for example, your SSN is not on her reports, and her name is not on your reports as an "AKA", but neither of those would explain attaching any of your names to an account you know none of you ever opened.
If you do NOT find any indication of mixed identity information on your reports, that would support that such a mixup is entirely in their "skip-tracing", possibly even intentionally setting up the "account information" to look like "family identity theft", since they have been reported to use that accusation in other cases to collect on even "misidentified" alleged debts. Even people who know they do not owe a debt are likely to pay it rather than accuse a relative of a crime.
Both of these alleged "debts" appears to be so old as to be not legally reportable on your credit reports. In any case, send a letter, certified return receipt requested, disputing the debt and requesting that they obtain and send written validation obtained from the original creditor that you are in fact the party that owes the alleged debt. Send it within 30 days to preserve your rights under FDCPA.
With access to your credit reports, including SSNs and DOBs, they can make this "account" appear to be either of yours, or even one of yours opened with the SSN of the other, even if none of your identity information was part of the original account information bought from Verizon. If they are only telling you any of this verbally on the phone, they can claim anything, knowing you will never know.
They are widely reported to send collection letters to consumers based only on approximate name matches in some state, or even just old address matches, yet still providing accurate SSN and DOB information to "identify" the debtor when confused consumers call. Their on-line "accounts", for example, require last 4 SSN digits to access, even to file on-line disputes, so they would appear to have obtained SSN info even when they are not certain of who owes an alleged debt.
Be aware that they are likely to claim that one or the other of you have to either file fraud reports with the police, or you have to pay it. Although you may decide to file such a complaint if you ever receive credible evidence, it does not appear that either of you believe the other opened some account thru id theft, which is what they are really trying to allege, since it is likely to get money out of you.
If you send your dispute and validation request letter promptly, within 30 days of receipt of their initial collection letter (be sure to send it CRRR, so you have proof), they are required to stop all collection activity until they obtain and send validation of the debt. This is true regardless of your reason for disputing the debt, so do not believe any claim that disputing it as "fraud" somehow relieves them of this legal obligation to validate or cease collection. They have to comply with BOTH FDCPA AND FCRA; they don't get to choose only one.
They are widely reported to almost never send anything, and some "validation" they have sent has been reported to be of their own making.
if afni, inc isn't NOT FRAUD, thn why did anfi, inc try to collect money from a verizon employee? Someone that has worked with verizon for 18 years? read the article below moron get a real job. Wow wait you make a penny on the $1 you make alot of money. um yeah ok!
You're trying to collect money from people that have real jobs unlike you Afni, Inc. employees.
I won’t waste my time with you.
Phone rings off hook over Verizon 'debts'
go to this site....
http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2007/09/03/2 ... izon_debts.html
Do pay them a penny............ hahaha I'm laughing my A$$ off afni,inc ..
if afni, inc isn't FRAUD, thn why did anfi, inc try to collect money from a verizon employee? Someone that has worked with verizon for 18 years? read the article below moron get a real job. Wow wait you make a penny on the $1 you make alot of money. um yeah ok!
You're trying to collect money from people that have real jobs unlike you Afni, Inc. employees.
I won’t waste my time with you.
Phone rings off hook over Verizon 'debts'
go to this site....
http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2007/09/03/2 ... izon_debts.html
Don't pay them a penny............ hahaha I'm laughing my A$$ off afni,inc ..
Docket search: afni Justia Federal District Court Filings and Dockets.
A company called AFNI, Inc. P.O. Box 3472 in Bloomington, Il. 61702 is a third party collections company.
They buy old worthless, incorrect and often out of statute of limitations debt portfolios.
Recently, ANFI, Inc. sent out a second notice collection bill on an old phone account through Verizon California Inc. they said I owed from 2001. Note I never received a first notice, and why would they have waited over 7 years to send me any kind of notice to begin with?
They, AFNI, Inc., offered to settle for half of what they said I owed, about $45.00.
Dumbfounded I knew I never had any account of any kind with Verizon, so I called Verizon Cal. Inc. and spoke to Eric. He looked in his data base for my name, SS# and the phone number. He said there was nothing about me in any of their files. He also said the phone number wasn't even a Verizon number.
So I did a phone number search at my own expense and found out what I already knew, it was not mine.
I checked my credit reports and found in violation of the Fair Debt Reporting Act they also placed this bill on my consumer’s credit reports without ever notifying me, and re-aged it from 2001 to 2007, which is also against the law.
If you receive one of these bills from AFNI, Inc. and you know that you had never had Verizon; or if it is a bill you never heard of before, check your credit reports right away.
I checked other web sites and found out a lot about AFNI, Inc. scamming people, not just a few but hundreds, thousands across the USA.
I then disputed the bill by Certified letters. Also, I filed with my state’s Attorney General and the IL. A.G., the FTC, and the BBB and every web site I can to get the word out on these scum.
The IL. BBB says that AFNI, INC. says it is my bill from 2001, but they have not validated it yet. Even if it were mine, it is out of SOL in California, over 4 years old. I am not sending them one red cent and will sue them if they continue to report this on my CR or sell this worthless paper to another debt agency.
I have heard to NEVER, NEVER call AFNI, Inc., as they will capture your phone number and start calling and harassing you; AND NEVER give them your Information as they will use anything against you. Which brings me to the letter that AFNI, Inc. sent to me to help them validate my information to help their records, avter DV letters to them...FDCPA violation.
For More Information on the AFNI, Inc. scam check BudHibbs.com or simply type in consumer complaints AFNI, Inc. into your search the web box. There are hundreds of complaints against these scam artists.
Only by banding together and filing reports against AFNI, Inc. can consumers shut these guys down.
Locally we have Ch. 47 on your side and I am thinking about contacting them. I bet they would be very interested to hear from you too, alerting them about this scam.
I have contacted verizon and there is nothing owed! lol....I also work for them!!!! Why wouldnt I know about a debt owed when I work for the company! Get Real!!!
Probably 80% to 90% of all consumer complaints against AFNI are that it isn't their account, and most of the rest are that the alleged account was paid when it was closed. This pattern in complaints against AFNI isn't even limited to just alleged Verizon and Verizon-merger "accounts", but is also apparent in complaints regarding alleged AT&T and Cingular "accounts". With complaints so skewed toward "not my account", with AFNI claiming it may be "id theft", why aren't similar levels of similar types of complaints showing up against other debt collectors buying old telecom debt? Why is this pattern only visible in complaints against AFNI?
The common factor to these complaints is not even that the "accounts" that consumers claim they never opened are from Verizon, but that it is AFNI collecting on them. It is a characteristic of AFNI's collection procedures that consumers are getting dunned for "debts" they don't owe, and it is a characteristic of those collection procedures that AFNI often claims it may be "id theft".
Look at what most of these complaints allege: "This account isn't mine." I never lived at this address." "I never had this phone number." "I never lived in that state." "I did't use that name back then." "I lived at this address once, but I moved out years before you claim this account was opened." And so on. Those are pretty definite. People don't totally forget where they lived, when they moved, or when they changed their name (due to marriage).
The simplest common explanation that accounts for this pattern of complaints is that AFNI is sending dunning letters to the wrong people, yet AFNI likes to imply that the account was opened thru "id theft", that someone "forgot they had that account", "forgot to transfer or close the account when they moved", "gave a relative permission to open an account in their name", and other similar "suggestions".
Why would AFNI send collection letters to people who don't owe these alleged "debts"? It doesn't pay to carefully track down the correct person on some old "account", and if you did, they still might not pay you. It's cheaper to just send bills to anyone you can find with a similar name, or anyone who might have once lived at the original address. Computers do that real cheap, if brainlessly.
If they are the original debtor, they might pay you.
If they are not, they might pay you anyway, but how were you to know? After all, you said they could dispute it.
If they report you or threaten to sue you, you just claim it was a "mistake" caused by a similar name. Anyone could have made such a mistake.
And if they call, you "blow smoke".
The last thing you want to admit is that you just sent out a bunch of letters to a bunch of people, many of whom do NOT owe you anything. After all, you pulled their credit reports, too, so you were supposed to have had "permissible purpose". You better "believe" you sent the letters to the right person. "Id theft" and the rest of the excuses.
Most people would assume that since fraudulent accounts are not legally owed by a victim of id theft, a debt collector claiming an account was opened thru "id theft" would not enhance the collectability of the alleged "debt". After all, there are even procedures to follow, under FACTA and state laws, to report id theft, file police reports, etc, and which require that creditors and debt collectors receiving such a valid id theft complaint cease all further collection, remove any negative reporting, and not even sell the "debt" now known to be fraudulent.
But most of these alleged "debts" are old anyway, going back to companies merged with Verizon such as GTE, older than 7 years so they cannot be legally reported, and usually past SOL so AFNI cannot legally threaten to sue. So any chance at collection is based on what pressure AFNI can apply thru their collection letters, thru phone contact, or thru credit reporting, up until they get sued. That pressure can be as cheaply applied regardless of whether they are billing the correct "John Smith", or twenty erroneous "J. Smiths".
What might be thought of as a disadvantage to the debt collector, that it costs more to locate the correct debtor and prove the debt than the debt is worth, can be turned into a disadvantage to the consumer, if instead you can convince the consumer that they have to prove they don't owe the debt, otherwise they have to pay it. Alleging "id theft" fits this perfectly.
It wasn't sent to the wrong person, it must have been "id theft". But then YOU have to prove it, wasting your time filing police reports, fraud affidavits, proving where you lived and when, and on and on. Don't keep records from 10 years ago? Too bad. We can settle this right now, for half off.
"It looks like you let your dear old mom use your identity to open this account. What? You didn't? I understand you might not want to turn her in, but it's either that, or you gave her your permission. Sorry, we just can't send you any documentation on this showing the "account" at her address is in your name, but trust us. We know what we're doing. Wouldn't it be simpler to just pay?"
But what happened to SOL? What happened to FDCPA? Validation? Disputing the debt? Put the usual legal stuff in the letter. Then just don't mention it again, and guide the consumer in another direction, one more likely to result in payment whether they owe the debt or not.
Why, then, does it not matter that they send bills to the wrong people, if some of them might cry "[***]", despite "suggestions"? There is no significant cost (penalty) for doing so (and it might even pay off, but that's not our fault). Even when they bill the wrong person, they at least have some "excuse", so odds are their risk of paying damages is limited, even if the cumulative damage spread across the targets of their "mistakes" may be substantial.
Without regulatory intervention, each "error" is a case to be deflected, litigated or settled on its own, and where most consumers are not even sophisticated enough to realize what's going on, let alone what to do about it.
This illustrates their routine use (and misuse) of skip-tracing, that is a characteristic of AFNI's activities. Note that there is no concern for actually finding the correct party, and their efforts aren't even directed at focussing their search toward that goal, only that there be some "excuse" for all the parties they bill or harass.
Name similar? Bill them. Former address? Bill them, who cares when they lived there. Wrong person? Your lying! Another debtor trying to get out of paying us what they owe. If they complain, just tell them it must be identity theft. Everyone knows there's a lot of that going around. It couldn't be our mistake.
But we could even find your wife's grandparents, yet we can't figure out we have the wrong person. Explain that.
If there are so many complaints against them, news stories on them, and they've been doing this for years without legal repercussions, what consumer protections do we have?