STONEBRIDGE LIFE INSURANCE CO. PHONY BILLING FOR NON-EXISTENT INSURANCE POLICY ST. LOUIS Missouri

A few months ago, a telemarketer apparently got a hold of my wife's name and address. We NEVER buy anything from telemarketers. On July 15th, we received an invoice for a premium which was "due" now. I immediately called the company, and a what sounded like an East Indian woman, who could barely speak English, assisted me. I asked her why we were being billed for something that we had never purchased? She insisted that my wife had purchased the insurance. I told her that that was not possible, as we NEVER buy ANYTHING from telemarketers. The woman then stated it was a "telemarketing offer", and to make a long story short, the agency was simply sending out invoices for non-existent "policies", hoping that their intended recipients would simply be "gullible" and "stupid" enough to submit payment! I then asked the woman if she would feel "more comfortable" dealing with the Arizona State Attorney General, or perhaps the Federal Trade Commission, and that pretty much put an end to the conversation. If you receive a "bill" from "Stonebridge Life" or any other company, for something you never ordered, just say "show me the purchase contract" or the "proof", and they will usually always just "hang up". This is technically "mail fraud", but it goes on, seemingly unabated, all the time. In this case, we never even heard of these people, nor do we have any "policy" in our possession, and if you ever receive any goods in the mail, that you did not order, such as magazines, books, etc, with an "invoice" attached, simply keep the merchandise or throw it away, along with the "invoice", as you owe NOTHING to anyone! The "scam artists" may attempt to convince you that "you owe them", however, if you mention to them that perhaps they might wish to speak to the U.S. Postal authorities, your state Attorney General, or perhaps the Federal Trade Commission about the matter, they will suddenly get "very nice" and then hang up, or quit sending you "threatening letters", as they then know that you are "on to them"! Likewise, if you receive a "threatening notice" from an out-of-state "collection agency" for a bill that you know you do not owe, and the sender makes "threats", check with your state Attorney General, to see if the agency is even licensed to do business in your state. If not, then call the "collection agency" back and ask them to give you their state license number, and that you had already checked, and found that they are NOT LICENSED to do ANY business in your state. That will usually always be the LAST time you'll hear from them. My wife and I went through this, a couple of times earlier, and in each case, whether it be "insurance" or a "past due debt", (which we KNEW we didn't owe) it was always a "scam" being run by "con artists" (usually ex-convicts or similar types) that make a living by stealing money from unsuspecting consumers, with "threats" like "failure to pay will leave a stain on your credit", or "we will be forced to take legal action", etc. Don't "fall for it"!

Jim in phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
U.S.A.