Afni,I rcvd a phoney bill from Afni, for 149.68, the original creditor is Verizon Maryland for disconnected phone number 410-875-6127. I have never had this phone number Bloomington Illinois

Cindy,
Don't waste your time trying to call them....
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FAQ: What to do when AFNI has sent you a bill for an account you don't owe:

Overview: AFNI is a notorious collection agency that likes to collect on bogus or beyond statue of limitations debt.

#1: Understand that you have federal rights under the Fair Debt Collection Act. Under this federal act you have the right to request validation of any alleged debt that a collection agency is trying to collect from you.

Mail a letter to AFNI (it's best to send Registered Mail with Return Receipt) with the following request:

I do not recognize this alleged debt. Per the Fair Credit Reporting Act I am officially requesting that this alleged debt be validated. Per the Fair Credit Reporting Act you are to cease any phone communications with me until this debt can be validated. You must provide validation with the information you have on file.

AFNI's usual response to this request is to mail you a letter requesting your social security number and driver's license. DO NOT give this information....You'll open the door to identity theft.

#2: It's best to check your credit reports to make sure that AFNI has not placed negative information on your credit file for this bogus debt. They are notorious for doing this.....

If AFNI has placed a negative entry on your credit file:

Send a letter to all three credit bureaus (preferably Registered Mail with Return Receipt) with the following request:

I do not recognized this alleged debt. Per the Fair Credit Reporting Act I am requesting that you validate this alleged debt. To speed things up, include a photocopy of your driver's license and social security card with each letter. If you don't include these items, the credit bureaus may write back and request this information, delaying your request by around a month

Under normal circumstances the credit bureaus should remove the negative notations. If they don't and write back that the debt has been validated. You have a problem and you have a fight on your hands.

If AFNI has placed bogus negative information on your credit files and one (or all) credit bureaus have come back claiming that this alleged debt has been validated as legitmate, you should:

#1) Send a Registered Mail with Return Receipt directly to AFNI, stating the following:

This debt is not mine and AFNI is in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act in reporting erroneous negative information to the credit bureaus that I owe this debt. If this erroneous entry is not removed from my credit file within thirty days, I plan to file official charges against AFNI with the Illinois Attorney General [note: AFNI is located in Illinois, so complaints would be filed in Illinois), as well as take other actions per my rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act

#2) Send a Registered Mail with Return Receipt to any (all) credit bureaus still reporting this bogus negative information with the following request:

I am requesting the written communication between your firm and AFNI that led to validation of this.

#3) Keep your fingers crossed and hope this works. If the negative information is STILL on your credit files, it's time to see an attorney who specializes in Fair Credit Reporting Act violations.