fradulant verizon bill
Complaint
gina simmons
Country: United States
I have just received a collection notice from Afni Inc that states I owe $246.85 to verizon. This account is said to be from 1999. I don't owe verizon anything.When asked why if I owed this then why haven't I heard anything until now. The Afni employee said that gte was taken over by verizon, and that the files had not been audited in the last 5-10 years. This Afni company has now bought these files, but have no notes on any bills that have or have not been paid. I could not beleive that people could get away with this scam. I have filed a better buisness report, and have found out the statue of limitations law in my state. It was very helpful, and I now know my rights under the laws to proctect people from monsters like Afni. I have had a verizon account for the last past 5 years,and have never had any problems. It's unfortunate that a company like Afni is smearing the Verizon name.
Comments
What information is being reported erroneously?
On what date was AFNI's information put on your credit reports? Was that after AFNI received your dispute and validation request?
Does your credit report show that the information they are reporting is disputed?
Is the account not your account?
Is the phone number one you never had?
Is the alleged address one you never lived at?
Did you live at that address, but not during the period they claim this account was open?
Is information reported in error?
Balance due, when account is known to have been paid?
Wrong date of first delinquency?
Is it being reported more than 7 years after original date of delinquency?
Have you pulled all your reports to see what is reported on each?
Is there an inquiry from AFNI on one of them, indicating they pulled your credit report (obtaining your SSN, DOB, and other identification information)?
If so, on what date did they pull your report?
If this account went delinquent in 1999, Verison might not have on-line access to the account records, but it would not be legally reportable. If it went delinquent in 2004, it would be reportable, but Verizon would have on-line access to the account records. Have you called Verizon and asked them if there is an account in your name or under your SSN?
Does the information or mis-information on the account (and ignoring that they have your SSN, DOB, and DL, since they can generally get that from your credit reports), lead you to believe that:
1) they are collecting from you in error, on an account that was never in your name?
2) they are collecting from you based on errors in matching your name against the account?
3) they are collecting from you based on matching you to living at the address of the account at some time, but not by name?
You must dispute erroneous information thru the credit reporting agencies, and they must verify that information, before you can sue them under FCRA. If you have confirmed AFNI's receipt of your dispute and validation request, have you sent a dispute to the credit reporting agencies that show their erroneous information? Have you received a reply from the CRAs, with the results of their "investigation"?
I don't know what to do next.
Also call Experian, and find out the reported original date of delinquency for the account as reported on your credit report.
Send a letter to AFNI notifying them that you dispute this debt, and requesting the name and address of the original creditor, original account number, original date of delinquency, party to whom the debt is allegedly owed, and that written validation of the debt be obtained from the original creditor and sent to you. Mail it certified return receipt requested, to AFNI, putting the certified number at the bottom of each page you send. Include a copy of your credit report page showing their erroneous account (make a copy, black out any unrelated information, then make a copy of that). Keep copies of everything.
When the post office shows they received it (you receive the green card, or you verify thru the post office site using the "certified" number), again send a written dispute thru Experian, disputing that this is not your account. Send this also, certified return receipt requested.
If AFNI verifies again, file complaints with FTC, IL AG, your state AG, and start looking for an attorney with expertise in this area.
Also, try opening a credit card account to see if you get turned down based on this erroneous information, to prove damages under FCRA. Watch for notices from your existing credit card companies that your rates are being raised due to information on your credit reports, and request a written adverse action notice from them providing the reason for any higher rates or lower credit limits, and which reports they pulled to make that decision.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_herring
"...The phrase may relate to saving a hunted fox by dragging a smoked herring across its trail. This act would create a diversion through the strong smell of kippers. The Oxford English Dictionary records its first written use occurring in 1686 in this context: "To draw a red herring across the track". ..."
Although if you do Google searches on "afni" you will get hits with Islamic connections, that is most likely because "Afni" is also a name in that part of the world. The "AFNI" people are dealing with here was originally "Anderson Financial Network Inc.", once run by a man named Earl Anderson.
http://www.afniupsourcing.com/about_us/history.htm
The main problem people are having with this company is that they are being billed for alleged debts they do not owe, either because the accounts were paid, or because they are not even the correct person who opened the original account. Your son's two bills sound like many similar consumer reports. It appears that AFNI is sending bills to anyone with a similar name, or people who might have once lived at a similar address, with no attempt to correctly locate the correct party. In addition, they have been reported to attempt to coerce payment from the people calling to dispute debts they know nothing about, trying to deceive them into paying anyway.
Consumers have rights under FDCPA to dispute debts from debt collectors, and would be wise to use their rights to ensure they don't end up paying some phony debt they do not owe.
The Concord P.O. box is probably a "lock box" for payments, as AFNI does not appear to have a call center in California, as far as I can determine. Could they have other P.O. boxes in Concord? If they are showing on a recent letter, please post them.
From BBB report:
Name: Afni, Inc.
Phone: (866) 308-1160
Address: PO BOX 3427
Concord, CA 94524
File Open Date: April 2007
Don't stop there. Send a carbon copy to John O'Donnell (info here: http://afniupsourcing.com/about_us/executive_team.php#sub) and Lisa Madigan (the Atty General of Illinois).
Not 5 days later, we received an apology letter and notification it would be removed from credit reporting.
In 2003 AFNI had this on my credit report and when I disputed it, it was removed. Now 4 years later they are calling my cell phone harassing me during my work hours and sending me collection letters, again. I also told them to quit calling me back in 2003, which they did, until this year. I asked them again to stop but to no avail this time.
Someone said Verizon bought out GTE, I haven't had GTE since 1982, and I'm pretty sure they were all paid up waaaaay back then. No reason why it would appear over 20 years later. Is there? Hmmmm...You’d think it would of showed on my credit report before 2003.
How can they get by with this and how can I get them to stop harassing me? This is getting to be quite ridiculous.
AFNI has got to be the rudest people I have ever spoke with, they cannot produce this bill and the snotty customer service rep insists it is mine and I must pay it. They even offered me 1/2 off...of a bill that isn't mine! I will not pay something I do not owe...PERIOD, even half of it. They are nothing but bottom feeding scavengers.
As every one else has said, I cannot believe Verizon is letting them run their good name in the ground. My contract for my cellular service (that I have had for over 6 years) will be up shortly and I am seriously thinking about going to ATT just because of this. I don't know how many times I have called Verizon and they have told me I'm in excellent standing with them and their home service has absolutely no record of me ever having service with them....well not according to the ALMIGHTY AFNI.
They then associate anyone and everyone remotely related to the phone number or service address with the debt......"
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/afni-do-not-call-or-send-them-money-c34033.html
The poster also has tips on how to send a letter to them.
If there are indications it IS the same debt, and you sent them a dispute and validation request letter which they never produced validation for, or a cease communications letter, and you still have copies of your letter and proof of receipt, you can sue them for their FDCPA violations.
Otherwise, send your dispute and validation letter now, certified return receipt requested. Follow up on any continued collection attempts with disputes to FTC, Illinois Attorney General, your state AG, or sue them.
If they are illegally reporting a debt older than 7 years, or reporting a debt that is not yours, dispute it with the credit reporting agency, and then file complaints and sue if they "verify" false or obsolete information.
Typical debt collection autodialer call.
Once phone calls are cheap enough, it no longer matters how many wrong numbers they call. They are using machines, after all, and they don't give a damn if they waste lots of people's time.
The original report here from "Gina Simmons" was back in July. Here we are in December, and they are still attempting to collect, whether on the same account, or maybe an entirely different one, but still "erroneously". Some consumers have reported receiving collection letters on "debts" that are not theirs, they dispute, get a reply that the account has been closed, and a month or two later they get another one on an entirely different erroneous account.
Today on December 26,2007 I Candelaria Sanchez spoke to one of the frod
agent regarding about someone using my identy with Verzion. I am not reponsible for those deliquent accounts that are appearing in my credit report. In 1995 I was 18 years old and was living in 940 west 11th street,Pomona,CA,91766. In July 1995 I lived 9 years in 9033 Bruma Rd,Pico Rivera until October 2004.Today I live in 9050 Carron Dr Apt#352.#014502442
It sounds like what you are saying is that this alleged account from 1995 was not opened by you, that you never even lived at any address associated with the alleged account, and that you do not legally owe it.
Although the alleged account may have been opened thru id theft, it is also possible that AFNI is simply wrongly claiming that you owe someone else's debt. Many consumers have reported exactly the same problem.
To preserve your legal rights, do NOT depend on talking to them on the phone. Send them a letter indicating that you dispute this debt, that it is not your account, and that you request that they send you written proof and validation of the debt obtained from the original creditor. Send this letter certified return receipt requested so you have proof they got it.
Do NOT waste your time trying to talk to them on the phone. Many consumers have reported that they have tried to trick them into paying even debts they know are not theirs. Use of deception by debt collectors to collect debts is illegal under FDCPA, as well as under the California Rosenthal Act.
If they are collecting on an alleged debt from 1995, regardless of whether you opened the account or not, their collections options are limited. A debt that went delinquent 12 years ago CANNOT be legally reported on your credit reports, under FCRA. In addition, California has a 4 year statute of limitations, so you could raise SOL as a defense if they tried to sue.
If they fail to send you legitimate proof that you owe this "debt", and still try to pressure you to pay it, you can sue them.
In addition, you can send them a letter notifying them to "cease communications", following which they can only contact you once more to notify you what action they will take. If they violate that request, you can sue them.
If they sue you, without having sent you validation first, you can also sue them.
How do you know you ever owed anything on this alleged debt?
Did they notify you that you could dispute and request validation of the debt?
Or did you contact them, but they claimed you had no right to do that, even on an alleged debt you doubted was really owed?
Did you request validation, and did they send you any validation accounting for how they arrived at the amount of the alleged debt?
Was your name actually on the alleged account?
Was the phone number actually yours?
Was the final statement date consistent with the period you lived at that address?
Does Verizon show a balance due under your name and SSN?
I wrote them a letter to dispute the bill and also contacted the Attorney General in Illinois and my state after seeing numerous similar complaints about Afni all over the internet. I can't believe these people can get away with this!