Afni Collections Afni Collections is attempting to collect on non-existent debt. Afni will not provide proof of the debt, but told the attorney general that it is confident that it is collecting from the correct person. Bloomington Illinois

They want people to blindly go to their site and fill out an "ID Theft" report so they can harvest those people's info and put it on a debt to which they have no clue as to who it belongs to.
I guess you could call it ID coercion(sp?).

ID Theft is when someone else assumes your identity to obtain something of value, or a fake ID, etc.

How exactly did these people engage in ID theft? Please explain.

Although unethical, nothing illegal here. guaranteed.

AFNI are debt collectors and JUNK DEBT BUYERS. They buy very old, usually uncollectable accounts like these for far less than a penny on the dollar. Most of these "accounts" have little or no information on who the original debtor was.

Therefore, everyone with the same or similar name gets the same letter, as they are fishing for information.

AND, the AG cannot do anything for you. No jurisdiction. The FTC has sole jurisdiction over debt collection issues under the FDCPA and FCRA.

Verizon is simply selling off any old uncollectable accounts that they have aquired in the buyups of smaller telecom companies. Nothing illegal here.

However, it does mean that at one time you defaulted on a telecom account. Even if it was 20 years ago.

Received a bill from AFni Collections on a phone number that I never had at a town I never lived in. I called them up and their answer was Identy thief. They said they needed more information which I did not give. I asked them just "Just who are you?". They said there are a memeber of the BBB and I did check and they are not.
I filed a complaint against the BBB and the federal trade commission.
They will report to the credit bureau and again it is all bogus on my part. I never had Verison phone company and never lived in the town where the address was located. I emailed them back that "it was a good try on their part, but I did my homework and they need to do theirs." These people need to be stopped.
How many times do people have to be ripped off to let the attorney general take notice?

and as far as I am concerned, Verizon is to blame for this whole thing for those of us who were GTE/Bellsouth customers at one time. The took bogus debts that many of us do not owe and simply sold our personal information to these people who appear more and more to be into the ID theft business. Verizon should be slapped with some hefty fines for this. I would contact your police department to see about filing an ID theft against Verizon and Afni.

and as far as I am concerned, Verizon is to blame for this whole thing for those of us who were GTE/Bellsouth customers at one time. The took bogus debts that many of us do not owe and simply sold our personal information to these people who appear more and more to be into the ID theft business. Verizon should be slapped with some hefty fines for this. I would contact your police department to see about filing an ID theft against Verizon and Afni.

and as far as I am concerned, Verizon is to blame for this whole thing for those of us who were GTE/Bellsouth customers at one time. The took bogus debts that many of us do not owe and simply sold our personal information to these people who appear more and more to be into the ID theft business. Verizon should be slapped with some hefty fines for this. I would contact your police department to see about filing an ID theft against Verizon and Afni.

and as far as I am concerned, Verizon is to blame for this whole thing for those of us who were GTE/Bellsouth customers at one time. The took bogus debts that many of us do not owe and simply sold our personal information to these people who appear more and more to be into the ID theft business. Verizon should be slapped with some hefty fines for this. I would contact your police department to see about filing an ID theft against Verizon and Afni.

This is a common scam. AFNI are junk debt buyers who buy very old debts for less than a penny on the dollar. They have NO IDEA who the "debt" really belongs to. They are fishing. Everyone with the same or similar name to you got the same letter.

All you have to do is send them a DEBT VALIDATION request as per the FDCPA. In this letter clearly deny the debt and demand to see the original signed contract that created it as well as a full account history and itemization of charges.

Also demand proof that they have the legal right to collect on the debt as well as proof that they are licensed/registered in your state to do debt collections. If they claim to own the debt, demand proof that they own it such as the sale contract and proof of payment.

Send this by certified mail, return reciept requested. Be sure to put the certified# on the letter itself and keep a copy for your records. This is very important to do it exactly this way.

Now you get your proof of a frivolous collections attempt and sue them.