NCO Financial Systems Complaint - Notice of attempt to collect debt - Americal Online, Inc

Posted by Hugh_Jorgen on 2006-09-26:

I think I would follow their instructions and make a written complaint to the address on the letter just to CYA. At that point, the burden of proof is on them. Check your credit report from time to time and if this pops up you can always dispute it. I'm betting that they figure most people will pay $24 rather than fight it - I applaud you for fighting them. Let us know what happens.

Posted by DebtorBasher on 2006-09-26:

Don't send them anything at all at this point...this is the second complaint in two days about this same matter, with AOL and an unreachable phone number...I'm thinking the number may be an 877# and NOT an 866#...you can try that, in the meantime, I am looking for some info for you and the other poster from NCO regarding AOL...and will pass that info to you as soon as I can.

Posted by beanspot on 2006-09-26:

I just received one of these letters from NCO regarding my AOL account. After finding a number for them, the one on the letter led nowhere, it took several times to actually get someone on the phone. The first time someone answered asked if I was calling to arrange payment, I said no and he hung up. I finally reached someone he verified the debt was real and I asked for a debt validation letter which they agreed to send. I then advised that they should make sure their phone number was correct when sending this type of information, they verbally abused me stating that I was just trying to avoid the debt. "You really think we're fake?, try not to pay the debt and your credit will be affected." I will be calling AOL to sort this out, are there any other tips I should know?

Posted by robwolf100 on 2006-09-28:

Add me to the list of people who have received the collection letter from NCO on behalf of AOL. Like most of the people posting, I am not nor have I ever been an AOL customer. I was able to get right thru on their 866-372-8498 number, but the person I spoke with did not believe that I had not incurred the debt and suggested that I send them a written dispute. After finding my3cents, I called AOL's fraud number (800.307.7969 thanks to honeypunch) and spoke with Denise, who promised to snailmail me an affidavit which I will fill/sign/return. AOL will then use this affidavit to cancel the debt and they will notify NCO.

Here's hoping it clears up as easily as all that. We did have a credit card stolen approximately 1 year ago, which was the time of the so-called charges. There were no fraudulent charges with AOL on my account at that time, but most of the fraudulent charges were computer-related. I'm hoping this is connected to that and not some new problem.

Posted by CaptainSpaulding on 2006-09-29:

robwolf110, I'll add you to the list of my3cents trolls, as you have been posting a lot of smack on here. You talk the talk... Do you walk the walk?

Posted by regards_pratik on 2006-10-02:

yo AOL # that i called first Raj came and told me that he cant do n e thing and gave me this # 1 877 773 4462 and then i talked to Jack and he is like i had acct with them and i had to pay 60 to them and i was like that was 2 yrs back which i had already disputed it and y m i getting the latter now. and he is like oh he cant do n e ting and i got to call the NCO only when i told him that the # doesnt work he is like he cant help me out in that. he is like oh wat i can do is i can cancle the 60 if u apply for $10 plan with us i m like hell no y should i so he is like he cant help me out. so robwolf100 if u have the other # for NCO plz send me on regards_pratik@hotmail.com thnx. this is pathetic that v have to go through all this sh** now. so plz if u can help me out here thnx

Posted by Kysailor on 2006-10-03:

I got the same crap from them also about screename but here's how i finally got info out of them,,on your letter it gives the account under the AOL information in which there trying to collect the debt on...Tell them at AOL this the account your inquiring about,think hard cause there going to ask for telephone and address assigned to this account..HAVE you moved in the last 2 or 3 years,here's the deal found out what they are trying to bill is a old PrePaid AOL account i setup for my daughter few years ago when she went off to school,not a normall monthly credit card account but using prepaid cards you could pick up at just about any Walmart,finally got hold of a AOL billing rep. using live chat on there site,told him whats going on he gave me 2 direct numbers to billing, I'll pass them on. The story is they never should of billed that account to begin with,since it was prepaid minutes off a card like a prepaid phone,this is the reason i cancelled them at that time,they apologized and closed this account and cancelled the balance to zero.. Well guess what,,,yeah you guessed it,sometime late in 2005 they began billing this account again thats where this debt is coming from in my case. AOL again humbly apoligized and wiped the slate again..I don't trust them..I've sent a letter to NCO telling them the situation and politly told them to hold there breath waiting for a payment...lol,and requested a debt collection verification,they have to do this by law.also have sent copies of both letters to the attorney generals office notifying them this could be happening across the country and state since from what i have seen this was a mass mailing around the last week of sept..Here's the direct numbers to AOL billing..First number is kind of a pain it a voice mail type you have to keep answering verbal questions,,like screen name,,stay vague or don't answer any question it will give up putting you in contact with a live person,and yes it will be overseas..this is where i got the second number which puts you in touch with a live person,,who cancelled the debt collection request..or so he says,,told me i could call back anytime to check the status on the account,so far so good,,but like i said this was done few years back and they re-activated the account and began billing again,,thank goodness it wasn't a credit card billing,this way they have to deal with me directly,,I'm not satified I'm going to pursue this further,going after AOL since they seem to be the root of this by taking it on themselves to just start billing dead accounts,Here's the numbers 1-888-265-8003 1-887-773-4462 still might have a wait but believe me heck of a lot shorter then waiting to die or somebody to take your call at the regular AOL support line..
GOOD LUCK

Posted by linian on 2006-10-09:

I have also recieved a letter from NCO Financial Systems Inc. I have called them with no success. I tried a FREE month but never used the whole month and called to cancel. AOL charged my bank account 13 times at a $1.00 each for using this so called free 30 day trial????? anyway I had to close my bank account and my bank put a FRAUD Alert on aol and now I'm getting a collection notice for $95.60??????????? NEVER will I never pay this and if anyone who has any advice for me at this time I am willing to hear it. I share my aol account with my parents and its FREE for me so if they think for one moment they are getting any monies from me well they can just go jump off a cliff or whatever! Thanks Linian

Posted by regards_pratik on 2006-10-11:

and even the # that i called for NCO ppl i got it from online when i searched for them, when i called that # some Bit** hung up the dam phone on me. she is like oh u gonna have to write it on the paper wats the prob and send it to us and then hangs up. then i called back on the same # and someone else picks up and then i tell her that some bit** hung up on me for no reason and then she tells me the same thngs and not even ready to listen. i still have the paper with me and i m also not gonna send n e thing and if ne thing happened to my frea**ng credit score i m gonna screw aol big time man.

Posted by yogagirl on 2006-10-11:

My father also received this same letter (for the same amount). I used the helpful posts on this website to call the AOL fraud dept (1-800-307-7969). I have to say they were very courteous! After confirming our information, the representative said they would mail us affidavit which we can sign to cancel the debt. This is all the same info as robwolf100 posted.

The only new piece of information I can offer is what the rep said to me on the phone this morning. I asked what was going on and explained the kinds of postings I was seeing on this web site. So the rep tried to fill in the gap a little. She said that NCO had some kind of data glitch and didn't attempt collection on some huge number (in the 2-4 million range) of accounts several years ago. It is actually NCO that is trying to go back and garner money on outdated claims. The AOL rep told me other companies were likewise being impacted by what NCO is doing right now. This is also apparently why their phone number is swamped.

I have not verified this information through any other sources, this is just what I was told on the phone by one representative at AOL.

Posted by dammitdexter on 2006-10-11:

I too have fallen victim to NCO Financial, Inc. and what appears to be a scam.

FIRST AND FOREMOST: DO NOT have personal contact NCO Financial UNTIL you have submitted a fraud claim with AOL's Fraud Department. If you do have contact with them, DO NOT give them any type of information that they can use against you such as: employment information, financial/banking/personal savings & checking account information, additional perosnal contact information and be very vague. DO NOT cooperate with them whatsoever. If they begin to harass you and become agressive or even rude and offensive, hang up the phone. In fact, unless you're going to call them to give them hell, you shouldn't attempt to make any contact with them whatsoever. DO NOT visit the NCO website and type in the registration number provided to you on the collection statement. That is what they want you to do.

I received not one, but two letters from NCO Financial stating that I owed $95.00 and $25.00 for an AOL account. Mind you, I have never had an AOL account or ever used anything relating to AOL at all.

So, I attempted to call the number provided on the collections statement and it turns out that it's not a valid number. Nobody answers the telephone. I'm glad it didn't work, because then I did research online and came to this thread.

I then called AOL's Fraud Department and spoke with a representative to assisted me in filing a fraud claim on the account (use the account number listed on the statement) and sent me a form via postal mail to fill out and return to them to finalize the fraud claim.

My understanding is that many have received this letter and I highly recommend that you contact AOL's Fraud Department as I have to file a fraud claim. If you desire, I also suggest that if it's somehow possible (I haven't been successful) to contact NCO Financial and give them hell. This is fraud and could higly impact your credit standing.

I also HIGHLY recommend contacting the Better Business Bureau and Federal Trade Commission to stop this organization.

File fraud claim:
AOL FRAUD DEPARTMENT: 1.800.307.7969

Report and file a business and identity fraud complaint:
BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU: http://www.bbb.org
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION: http://www.ftc.gov -or- 1.877.FTC.HELP

Posted by Ricksgirl on 2006-10-16:

I also received the collection notice and couldn't get through on the phone (no wonder, with everyone getting these fraudulent notices!) I called the AOL fraud line 800.307.7969 and pressed option #4. AOL is sending me a form to sign and return to them and then they are notifying the collection agency. If this all works it will be extremely easy because of the info on this site....Thank you!!!!

Posted by Ricksgirl on 2006-10-24:

It's now the 24th and I'm still waiting for the papers that AOL promised to send out. I just called and they said they'd send another so we'll see how long this takes!

Posted by eskimax88 on 2007-01-04:

I got a letter today in the mail from NCO stating the exact same thing as everyone elses letters. Mine says it is $344.00 past due. Thanks to everyone on this site I know this is a scam. Hopefully most people will not let themselves be harrassed by this scammer.

Thanks!

Posted by chemengine on 2007-06-13:

I recently received a bill for a alledged doctors bill from over 4 years ago. I called and asked them for a detailed statement. A month later I called back again and asked for a statement - I had the same problem with the accent - you could barely understand the folks on the phone. It ended up taking 10 weeks three phone calls to get a statement and it was very incomplete. Generic dates and no billing info, original creditors info, etc. I really think this is a scam shop but it is not worth the trouble and potential damage to my credit report to fight it over $40.

Posted by ssif21 on 2008-02-05:

NCO Financial is clearly a collection of idiots. I recently was issued a new wireless phone by my agency (part of the U.S. Department of Defense). I guess the previous owner of my number had credit problems so I receive 4 or 5 taped calls a week from NCO Financial demanding that I call them. I finally tried and was on hold for over an hour. I then tried calling back and received a message saying "We are currently closed. Our office hours are..." It was, in fact, during their office hours when I was calling. It then kicked me to a voice mail box where I got a tape saying I could not leave a message because the box is full. I guess I'm just turning this over to our security branch to be pursued as harassment.

Posted by jamieg25 on 2009-01-28:

ssif21

since your agency is part of the department of defense i would think that the ftc would actually listen to a government agency complaining about harassment because they ignore all of us non government non celebrity people that are getting scammed

Posted by whitemicmike on 2009-07-26:

Well its possible that someone opened up a AOL account with your information. You my friend may have been a victim of identity theft fraud. My suggestion to you being that I work as a legal consultant is to get lawyer. I have a suggestion if you want it. I work closely with pre paid legal, and what they offer is insurance in case something like this happens. Identity Theft Shield is one of them and they work with a company called Kroll for the theft shield. They are the ones that brought down Enron and work with the FBI on forensics. This is great if you want to protect you or your family. If you want to know more you can give me a call its 1-561-584-3714 the names Derrick, or you could visit my site im a licensed legal consultant that works with any legal situation. My site is http://www.prepaidlegal.com/hub/jenkinsd