It is incumbent upon them under the law to prove that the debt exists and that you owe it, and that they have the legal right to collect it. You are not obligated under the law to prove that you don’t owe or that it is paid.
Federal law (FDCPA) requires them to send you a letter (US MAIL ONLY) postmarked within 5 days of their first contact that contains their name, physical address, the creditor’s name, and the amount of the alleged debt. It also must contains “mini-Miranda” telling you that it is an attempt to collect a debt and that all information will be used for those purposes. The one other important thing that this letter must also have in it is that you have a right to dispute the debt within 30 days of receipt of the letter and if you do so, all collection activity must be stopped until the debt is verified.
Read up on your rights here and also make a complaint at this government site: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/
Also file a complaint with your State Attorney General's office.
List of State AG’s offices: http://800notes.com/faq/attorney-general
925-204-3846 with useless caller ID of "Antioch CA" called and left a message this time. The recorded female voice said she was a debt collector with Collection Bureau of America and this was an attempt to collect a debt. She asked me to call (888) 656-9287. I looked up (888) 656-9287 and found no information. There was also a confusing and incomplete recorded message with a male voice after hers. I looked up Collection Bureau of America. They are based in Hayward, California, which is in the Bay Area with the 925 area code, but not in the 925 area code. Google says their number is (510) 781-5178, which has the area code for Haward. Their website is http://www.collectionbureauofamerica.com/. Their website says their number is 888-306-2045 and that their pay-by-phone number is 888-454-0313 and their fax number is 510-781-5101, which is close to the number Google gives for them. However, neither the number in the caller ID nor the number in the voice mail matches any of Collection Bureau of America's numbers. Collection Bureau of America looks like an established business, but this call does not look much like it is from them. This could be a scam.
925-204-3846 called again. This time the recording said to call Collection Bureau of America at 888-656-9285. The recording said it is an attempt to collect a debt this time. There was no mention of who the message was for.
It is incumbent upon them under the law to prove that the debt exists and that you owe it, and that they have the legal right to collect it. You are not obligated under the law to prove that you don’t owe or that it is paid.
Federal law (FDCPA) requires them to send you a letter (US MAIL ONLY) postmarked within 5 days of their first contact that contains their name, physical address, the creditor’s name, and the amount of the alleged debt. It also must contains “mini-Miranda” telling you that it is an attempt to collect a debt and that all information will be used for those purposes. The one other important thing that this letter must also have in it is that you have a right to dispute the debt within 30 days of receipt of the letter and if you do so, all collection activity must be stopped until the debt is verified.
Read up on your rights here and also make a complaint at this government site: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/
Also file a complaint with your State Attorney General's office.
List of State AG’s offices: http://800notes.com/faq/attorney-general