Merchants' Credit GuideSent a collection notice stating I owed AT&T $28.31 AT&T told me it was a rip-off Chicago Illinois

I received a letter from Merchants' Credit Guide Co. stating that INOVISION, A MARLIN COMPANY, LLC has purchased my defaulted account from AT&T CORPORATION. The amount was $28.31. They wanted my credit card information with the three digit security code. They gave me three options...a one time payment of 50% of the above amount to settle in full in the amount of $14.16... three equal consecutive monthly payments equivalent to 70% of the above amount in the amount of $19.82... or monthly payments of whatever I could afford.
I contacted AT&T billing and was informed that, after checking both the phone number, which was non-existant, and with their fraud department, that it was a scam. That the same people had set up operations in a number of states, and to check Rip-Off.com. I tried a search on your site, but for some reason, the search wouldn't load. I was also informed in this letter NOT to contact AT&T... that all communication should be directed to them. I may have been born at night, but it wasn't LAST night

David
Temple, Texas
U.S.A.