Sprint, Sprint PCS Ripoff money from customers, fraudulent billing, extortion attempt, attempt to gather personal info that would lead to complete identity theft Lenexa Kansas

In March of 2003 I received a letter from a collection agency named Diversified of Fridley MN, informing me that they were writing in an attempt to collect a debt for Sprint PCS. The amount of the debt was $695.38. The letter had my name and address but it had a Sprint account number that was not mine. Considering that I had been a happy customer of Sprint PCS for about 4 years and always paid my bills I could not understand how I could be receiving a collection letter in the amount of $695.38.

I have never in my whole life had a phone bill in that amount nor anywhere near that amount. I called Sprint PCS, using my cell phone to speak with a customer service representative on the following business day. I asked the customer service representative to pull up my account and tell me what she saw in the system.

The representative told me what my balance was and when the payment was due. I then told her that I was calling in reference to a collection letter I recieved from Diversified and asked if she would pull up the account number I read from the letter.
When the representative pulled up the account I asked her if she saw my name on the account and she said yes, however, she informed me that the address and cell phone number was not mine.

I also told her that I was speaking to her on my Sprint account cellphone. I asked how I could possibly be calling on my Sprint phone with a Sprint account if I had a $695.38 balance and was in collection? The representative told me that she did not understand how it could be occurring and the told me that I would have to go through Sprint's Fraudulent Account Department.

At that point I attempted to get as much information as possible but the representative told me that she could not divulge any further information. She told me that she would contact their fraud department to put in a claim with the information she collected which I provided from the collection letter. I was then told to wait 3 business days before calling the fraudulent claim area at Sprint.

When I called Sprint, not matter what time of the day,ot how many time I attempted to call, I could never get through. I would get up from my desk at work and use my breaks to try to get through to the fraudulent claims area with no success. On March 10,2003 I sent a letter to Diversified, copying Sprint, with a copy of their collection letter/bill informing them that the account they were attempting to collect was not mine and that I was in touch with Sprint PCS concerning the account.

I also informed them that I would not correspond with them further until I heard from Sprint. Well, I never heard from Sprint. Since my account and phone were in good standing I forgot all about it. I never heard from Diversified again.

Amazingly enough, two years later, I receieved a collection letter from Cavalry Portfolio Services, LLC of Tempe AZ with the same account number and reference number as Diversified. Cavalry informed me that my Sprint account was recently purchased by Cavalry SPVI, LLC and refered to Cavalry Porfolio Services LLC for servicing. They informed me that they appreciated my business and would work hard with me to deliver the highest quality of service to resolve the outstanding balance.

I was informed that I should call them to discuss a payment arrangement suitable to my budget! Also, I was offered, in bold letters, a 30% discount offer by returning the enclosed discount coupon with my full payment settlement amount and that if I notify the office within 30 days after receiving this notice Cavalry would provide me with the name and address of the original creditor. I thought that was odd since the collection letter read that I owed the money to Sprint.

The letter ended with Sincerely Customer Service Manager. No name, no signature of the name of the manager. After the Cavalry collection letter, I wrote to Sprint on January 13, 2006 informing them of the fraudulent billing and collection attempts by the two collection services, Diversified and Cavalry. I gave the a copy of the letter I sent to Sprint and Diversified by in March of 2003.

I demanded to know why my name is attached to these fraudulent collection notices. I informed them that I no longer believed that I was receiving the letters in error but that Sprint was deliberately attempting to steal money from their customers. Informed them that I would do all I could to protect myself against the attempts at ripping off their customer by writing to the Better Business Bureau, FTC and contacting a lawyer to find out if there is a class action suit against Sprint because I would be fighting this to the end.

It is more important to me now than ever before as I just received my credit report and all of a sudden it is on my report as an unpaid debt!! I cannot believe this is happening! To go a step further, I contacted Sprint and stayed on my phone for 45 minutes. I spoke to a Sprint representative by the name of Andrew who told actually gave the me the phone number of the fradulent account and told me that the address attached to the the account is an address in Manhattan, NY.

Andrew then got me to Beth in the Sprint Fraudulent claims divisition who very rudely told me that if I would be quiet and let her get a word in she would tell me what I would have to do to have the matter looked in to. Beth told me that she would mail me a Fraud Affidavit and that I was to provide all the requested information and documents and I could mail it back regular mail or overnight business. I was also informed that if I did not provide all the requested information the dipute would not proceed.

In this day of fraudulent claims and identity theft, the following is the information Sprint requires in order to proceed with handling a fraud dispute: copy of your social security card and or proff of citizenship, copy of your state driver's license of state issued identification card, copy of police report, if applicable, copy or actual proof of residence at the time the account was established on August 7, 2002 (what is this date?)

Not only am I the victim of fraudulent billing by a company I trusted all the years I've been with them, but now they are asking for documentation that will most assuredly make me a victim of identity theft!! My social security card!?? a copy of my license???!!! my photo is on the license! I didn't have to provide this type of documentation when I opened my sprint account years ago!! And now, I have this terrible smear on my credit report. Sprint is ruining my credit!

Cheri
Bronx, New York
U.S.A.

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