Anyone ever receive a spurious/fraudulent debt collection letter?

[TheSloth]

I opened my mail today and was shocked to find a letter from a debt collection agency (Wyse Financial Services, Inc.), demanding over $3000 in debt from a company called 'NCO Financial Systems' (never heard of them...). As someone who has no debts (I don't even use the 'credit' on my credit cards), it was clearly fraudulent, not on the part of the collection agency who on further investigation are legitimate, however on the part of the company/person demanding the debt, or someone attempting to use my name for identity fraud. Furthermore, my name was incorrectly spelled, and the apartment number was completely wrong (not even close to correct).

I have obviously taken the first obvious steps, including mailing an immediate written response demanding my legal right to full disclosure, and contesting the debt. As the agency is in Colorado (and I'm in NY, go figure), I also filed a complaint with the State of Colorado Collection Agency Board. I only received the letter a short while ago, so was not able to get hold of anyone on the telephone, however I will obviously pursue that first thing tomorrow morning.

Depending on the results of my telephone conversation tomorrow, I may also have to pursue legal advice. I'm not even an American citizen!

Has anything like this happened to anyone here? And do you have any suggestions other than the steps I have described? Furthermore, how can this kind of fraudulent crap get to the stage of debt collection demands? 5 seconds of research would immediately show that something is fishy.

Furthermore, what might have happened had I been away for some time. I spend many months at a time in the UK, and had this debt been validated somehow, could I have been arrested on returning to the US? That's fucking scary if it's possible...

[Dusty Chalk]

That sucks, dude. I don't really have any good advice, other than don't let it drop. I had problems with identity theft less than a year ago, but they were much more minor than what you're experiencing.

[acs236]

This is not something that it is uncommon and it probably isn't fraud (in the legal sense).

The likely scenario is that there is someone with your name, or a very similar name, that owes some company money. The debt collector is probably targetting everyone with your name. This happens most frequently with people who have names that are neither too unusual or too common.

Disputing the debt in writing, as you have done, is the way to go. You can certainly call them, but I would be prepared to fax a copy of your dispute to them when you call.

Also, I wouldn't bring up the fact that you already filed a complaint. The debt collectors motiviation is to get money and once they figure out they're not going to get any from you, they will probably leave you alone.

When you speak to them, I would probably just tell them you don't know the company whose debt that are trying to collect and you are not the guy with the debt. Keep calm. Whoever you speak to may get pushy. But your best bet is remain to calm and repeat: I'm not the guy, never heard of this company. And request a written response acknowledging what you told them.

[Gabe Logan]

I got a Eames lounge chair or a reproduction of it and there is this guy who first off cannot spell check right and insist that i take that form of payment and how he will mail me the check and i ship him the chair.First off i have been scammed by a fake money order before so you can bet this guy aint getting it his way since i have explained to him 2 times that i want cash only in a face to face environment.