I think we’re starting to get a sense for the scam here, as mentioned in my entry for yesterday, 3/10/2012. The scam involves NCTUE, but may have have been initiated by one of several collection agencies, including the AFNI collection agency of Bloomington, Illinois. (AFNI is by no means the only one.) It works like this: a debt collection agency “re-ages” an expired debt (that is, a debt that is older than the statute of limitations) and attempts to collect it. They send notification of the debt to credit reporting services like Equifax, and then attempt to collect the debt, using the bad credit mark as a sort of threat. Enough people apparently send such agencies money to keep the business model alive.
That sounds illegal to me, but it can get worse: Some collection agencies have been known to invent debt from whole cloth and then attempt to collect it, which, of course, is a species of fraud and should be prosecuted.
I’m not sure what happened in our case, since Carol and I have never let any bill go unpaid. Nor am I sure (yet) that this is what happened. We’re still looking into it, and as you might expect, not much is going to be resolved on a weekend.
There is evidently some connection with Verizon Wireless, which Carol and I contracted with for the very first time ever last fall, when we bought new smartphones. Needless to say, we haven’t missed any payments. AFNI apparently bought some ancient debt from companies that Verizon later purchased back in the 1990s, and has been trying to collect on it. (More here.) The number of accounts purchased by AFNI is immense.
I’m seeing a lot of reports of letters received in Colorado over the past couple of days, so whatever agency is doing this may be mounting an effort on a state-by-state basis, and this week it was just our turn.
What this may mean (again, we don’t know yet) is that some collection agency may have submitted a mass of fraudulent debt notices to credit reporting services (like Equifax’s NCTUE) which is now dutifully notifying people that a negative entry has been added to their credit reports. If that turns out to be the case, NCTUE is not scamming at all, but just doing what they’re supposed to do, and may be required to do by law. We may object to how they do it, but it may not be NCTUE engaging in malfeasance, but the collection agencies.
Be sure to read up on how to deal with collection agencies generally, and send no money to any of them unless you’re absolutely sure that you owe it. Fight them like a cornered animal. Here’s one report from a person who did it successfully.
Good luck.
I’m on Verizon too, and never had an unpaid debt except a dispute with Qwest, which was eventually settled at a higher lever within the company. I was treated so poorly in the process though, I refuse to do business with them ever again….
Called NCTUE at 866-349-5355, which is an alternate number I found on their website. I requested a copy of my data report giving him only my name, address & phone number (same phone number I was calling him on). I spoke with “Axel” who stated that I would receive my data report within 7-10 days. I asked why Colo. residents are receiving these notifications and he stated that their system had identified many Colo residents as having activity that they were required to notify us about (not very helpful). I told him that their website should provide more information regarding what specifically initiated this letter. I’d be interested in hearing what others found on their data report & will write again once I receive mine.
Got a similar letter today. I’ve never been a Verizon customer though.
Got a letter today in my son’s name. He hasn’t lived here in many years and has no outstanding debts. We live in Colorado as well.
Please keep us informed if you learn more about this scam.
Hah! Thanks for this, you’ve helped solve a long standing problem I had back in 2007 or so in NC.
I tried to sign up with Verizon at a Costco booth in Durham, NC. Turned down based on credit, with no specifics. I contacted Verizon and they told me Costco had authorized it, Costco more truthfully said they had nothing to do with it, so it must have been Verizon.
A few weeks later the dunning phone calls started from a collections agency. I knew I did not owe the debt and called the AG to see what could be done. The helpful souls there said I probably owed it and to pay up. Good thing I didn’t, as your posts show.
I was lucky enough to have a good contact at a Consumer Credit Counseling agency and asked there about this. They gave me the advice you posted about NEVER paying on a dubious debt and said as well that I should send a registered “Cease and desist” letter. If they contacted me again after that I could take them to court. I never heard from them again after I sent the letter.
These people even called my department’s secretary and left messages for me! I hope the organization Verizon gave your name to finds few victims in Colorado.
Vonda
(found this site because of the Assembler Language Step by Step book, btw. Love it and esp. love the puns!)
I too received a litter from NCTUE this week and I live in Colorado. I have been a Verizon customer for over 10 years. Not sure if any of these things are related, but I have an almost perfect credit score and have never had a debt outstanding in my life. In addition, thanks to a previous health insurance company’s server being hacked, I have a free 1 year Debex protection attached to my credit. I never received a call from Debex concerning this supposed “hit”. I believe it to be a scam! In addition, the bottom of the letter is a tear-off sheet asking me to fill in my social security number and DOB and mail it back. Umm….pretty sure all credit agencies or collection agencies would have this information!!! My suggestion: call Equifax on your own and get a copy of your credit report.
Also: http://denver.cbslocal.com/2012/03/15/consumer-reporting-letter-causes-confusion-concern/
I live in Colorado and got a letter from NCTUE in Atlanta, GA stating that in the last 12 mo. negative information had been added to my report. I don’t subscribe to Verizon and never have so this is interesting. I got the same letter KRISTA did and I too have had nearly perfect credit. So I’m gonna ignore the whole thing.
Thanks for writing this up. It came up early in a google search for NCTUE
I live in Colorado, I just got the same letter today 🙂
I pulled up the NCTUE website to compare the phone # and address to the letter I recv’d… the phone # was different but the P.O Box was the same. I called the phone # on the website and found myself talking to a man with a thick foreign accent (India maybe). He said the letter was really and also wanted my SS#, I did not give it out and hung up. I also have great credit and no unpaid bills…. seems very scammy to me. Oh and I also have verizon too.
I just received my letter from NCTUE and would never mail in the perforated portion that requests my SS#, DOB, and signature!
What a mess. Someone just took my Citicard MC for a joy ride 2 days ago, and purchased $800.00 @ Cabella’s and then a airline ticket to South Africa for $1400.00.
Thankfully the fraud dept. at Citicard’s was on it within 12 hours of initial transactions.
There are a lot of jerks out there!
I also live in Colorado and use Verizon.
This feels like a support group introduction. Hi, I’m Mike, I too live in Colorado and I received the NCTUE letter dated April 3.
Thanks for the initiative on this.
haha!!! im laughing at Mike from April 8th!!! I just opened the mail–yep, live in Colorado (today is Friday the 13th?),letter was mailed on the 3rd but was sent to a former address!! we have lived in this house for about a year. Everythng–including verizon has our address now.
the little tear off thingy at the bottom of the letter:
*written requests cannot be processed without this information (re: my SS# and DOB!!!)
Got the same letter today in CO. Long Term Verizon customer. Very concerning.
I also live in CO, use Verizon, and got the letter. Always pay bills on time and have great credit. The letter really bugs me. Glad to know that I’m not the only one. I’m paying my bills and I pulled that thing out to deal with it and saw the request for the SSN. Like I was born yesterday. Gah! Thanks for looking into this.
I ran into this several years ago. I too have perfect credit and never miss any payment. Back then it was the same type of letter, but directly from Equifax stating ” at least one report that added negative information in the previous 12 months”. I knew this statement was complete BS, and pressed hard at Equifax to explain to me why I would receive such a letter, and who at Equifax had sent it. After many phone calls, I finally tracked down the originator of the letter: EQUIFAX MARKETING. The explanation was that most people have at least 1 neg report in th last year, so they would just send them out to everyone hoping people would respond and then BUY SOME SERVICE THEY OFFERED. Now, I just received one of the recent NCTUE letters and I just called to have them take me off their mailing list. They refused to do it. Now, I am going to try finding the Registered Agents name for NCTUE and send them a Cease and Desist Order. I would suggest others in the same spot do the same. Next step after that, is the FTC. What they are doing is unfair practice.
Glad I looked this up on the web – thanks for your site. Also live in CO, daughter who is living in Asia for past 9 yrs received letter at our address today. Yes, send your SSN, DOB, and signature to a random PO Box in Atlanta. Dropping it into the shredder.
Live in Colorado and got the letter today also. Worried because we are in the middle of a refi and wondered what the heck! So thankful for your info. The best advice is to pull a legit credit report and see what is going on.
I too live in Colorado and recived this same letter from NCTUE dated April 4 I am not sure if I owe this debt or not. I will find out by going stright to Equifax. Thanks for the info.
I, too, received this letter and am so glad that I did a search first. Like Laura, I will be contacting Equifax directly. Thanks!
I too received this letter dated April 3rd and to my former address. I am on Verizon, but never paid late in the past year that I made the switch from AT&T.. The fill in the ssn# made me immediately think scam…. Trash!
I also received a letter today (4/16/2010) dated April 3rd and ALSO posted to my former address.
I’m a verizon customer in colorado.
Same thoughts as Doug above, the SSN bit stinks!
A friend of mine and I both received the letter. Neither of us has Verizon, however, we both recently cancelled our DirecTV service and I’m wondering if that could be related. We have both pulled our credit reports and found nothing negative.
Like many before me, I received the “letter” on April 13, dated April 4, stating that there was something negative on a credit report. Found out today that our re-fi has received clear approval, so whatever is on that report can’t be too damning, if at all. Been with Verizon for almost 10 years, Qwest/CenturyLink for 20, and Directv for almost two. Go figure.
Forgot to add that we live in Colorado and moved last June (in the same community in Colorado). The letter had our old address on it. I find that odd. It went in the trash after tearing it up.
I posted on your first page “A letter from NCTUE”…. but my connection was a.) living in Colorado and b.) AT&T (not Verizon). BUT! I do have an ex-husband, that left a lot of debt lying around, and I have had dubious collection agencies try to re-vitalize some of that old debt in my name. The employee I spoke with at NCTUE seemed genuinely concerned that I have no previous debt with AT&T, and was helpful in getting my report sent to me so I can correct anything there not mine… BTW, I didn’t contact the number on the letter, but instead went to their website and got an entirely different phone number, and a slightly different PO Box number… all without giving him my SS#.
got the same letter here today, dated April 4th… have near perfect credit, no overdue bills, etc… will call credit reporting agencies for copies of credit reports now… this chaps my hide….
Also live in Colorado, recvd the letter dated 4/4/12. We have perfect credit and this made me panic at first…. Interestingly enough we just got new verizon IPhones in December.
As a homeschooling mom, I’ll be showing this letter to DD to warn her about such things, then tossing in the trash.
Thanks for this website. I looked on line because I too, got a letter from nctue. It is a scam! As if I would send an unknown my SS# and DOB. These folks should be prosecuted to the fullest! Thanks for the information. burning the letter…
Glad I found your pagel I[m in Colorado and have had Verizon for a number of years. I’ll trash the letter.
Just got the same letter dated April 3, todays the 20th I also have verizon someone with time should call Tom Martino so he can investigate this.
I received this letter today, also dated 4/3/12 – I have excellent credit, I use Viaero Wireless, a local cell phone company; I don’t have cable, satellite or TV of any kind, nor a landline. I was very suspicious where it asked for my SS# and DOB. I Googled ‘NCTUE’ and found this. Thanks for your assistance and the comments from all those before!
I received this letter today, 4/21/12, letter dated April 3rd with the exact same script as reported above.
I also pay my few bills on time and have excellent credit.
I do have Verizon for my cell phone service.
Thank you for these posts and suggestions, if I learn anything, I will write another post.
I recieved the letter too. After reading the CBS (channel 4) report I used the Ph.# they gave and contacted NCTUE. Guess what – the credit report is free, but the other offer is their credit score for $7. Wonder how much money they will rake in – the report said the letter went to 80,000 people in Colorado alone. Hopefully, people won’t reward their shenanigans by paying for the score. Unfortunately, we all have become terrorized by what a bad credit report can do —
Thank GOODNESS. My gut still works!! I received the same as all previous posters. Mine dated 4/3/12. Panic set in, as I am one with perfect credit and recently did a refi. I use Virgin Mobile for cell, so I know its not them. Comcast is paid by internet banking on time every time, and Directv … well, I did come close to cancelling because of weak income, but the refi saved me from zero entertainment.
After running all that through my 6th sense…I then told my gut DO NOT order this report…they want my SS# and BD and I’ve never heard of them before today!! So …THANK YOU GUT and thank you Jeff (✿◠‿◠) for this posting. You just saved me from a stupid mistake. Now I must make a phone call to Equifax to order my report directly from them.
I got this today too. Great credit, never missed a payment. We use CenturyTel for internet (autopay), and our cell phones are pre-pay (T-Mobile). Had Dish Network until 8 months ago where we had autopay as well…canceled in good standing. Xcel energy is autopay too. Not sure what is going on, but I won’t send them my info.
I won’t be pinging Equifax anytime soon either. As the parent company of NCTUE, maybe calling on Equifax is what they want you to do…and hope you will forget to cancel before your first free month is up.
Wow.. I’m part of the club! I recieved this (forwarded from a former address). Verizon and Xfinity (Comcast) subscriber here. This is going in the garbage.
4/27/12 I came home to the same letter today. I have not changed anything this year with companies and always pay on-time. Most of our accounts are not in my name except for AT and T. I sensed this was a scam due to them asking for your social security number. Don’t they have that to be sending a letter like that? I also live in colorado!! Shredder for my letter!
I also live in colo and got letter from NCTUE on April18. stating i am having some sort of negative informtion on their file. moreover I am not a verizon customer even but yeah atnt customer though.
seems like they are having problem with colo residents.. how is it possible 90% colo. resident getting this.
and thanks for starting this as I was really worried what to do with it.
Got the letter, never any credit issues. I will not be providing my SSN. Letter gets filed in the circular file.
I too received the letter from NCTUE which is dated April 3. Well, three issues have cut NCTUE off at the knees. #1. I am a retired police officer, with 27 years on the job and I can still smell a rat. #2. My wife and I have NEVER been late on ANY bill/payment in over 30 years. And #3. My best friend who is still on the job works in the fraud unit. My take on this is that NCTUE is casting a big net to catch as many fish as they can. We are in the process of reporting them to Life Lock and the local D.A.’s office. They have messed with the wrong cowboy.
I also received the letter, and like everyone above, have excellent credit and no outstanding bills. Thanks for all the posts!
Got a letter from NCTUE dated April 4th. Wish I had done some research first though, as I probably just put entire identity in danger. I called the number and gave my social to the automated machine, then gave my address; however, I was then told by the automated machine that my address was wrong. After doing this a few times and not having it go through I started to think something was wrong. That’s when I got on here. Like the majority of people on here I pay my bills on time and should not have anything outstanding.
I’m interested in what those who commented have done in the follow up and if this is something that may require legal action. Obviously if my social is now out in the open I’ll need to do something, but this may also warrant a class action suit.
I got one today, 5/1/12. Dated April 3, 2012. Exact same letter. I am also in Colorado.
What is interesting about mine is that I am a small business owner, and it came to my *business name*, not my personal name. The only recurring biller it could possibly pertain to would be Verizon. All other businesses that fall under the NCTUE umbrella are in my personal name. This seems incredibly scam like. The person on the other end of the phone, at the number off NCTUE’s website, not the letter (although the number on the letter is also listed on NCTUE’s website), barely spoke English, and had absolutely no idea why a business would have received this letter. Something smells very fishy. Of course, I gave no personal info, and I ended the phone call by hanging up.
I promptly called someone who was able, and they ran a credit report for me while I waited, and as I thought, it is pristine.
Who do we report this to?
I plan to notify the CBI of this scam. Does anyone know if the local Denver channels has reported this scam?
Yep. Colorado. Verizon. April 3. Thanks to Krista, above, for the link to CBS’s story. Reposting: http://denver.cbslocal.com/2012/03/15/consumer-reporting-letter-causes-confusion-concern/
Although the story reports that Equifax vouches for this notice as legitimate, but still my take is that I’m getting my telecom services without problem, so I think I’ll just disregard this letter as junk.
I am reposing this as a separate item, instead of a reply:
I ran into this several years ago. I too have perfect credit and never miss any payment. Back then it was the same type of letter, but directly from Equifax stating ” at least one report that added negative information in the previous 12 months”. I knew this statement was complete BS, and pressed hard at Equifax to explain to me why I would receive such a letter, and who at Equifax had sent it. After many phone calls, I finally tracked down the originator of the letter: EQUIFAX MARKETING. The explanation was that most people have at least 1 neg report in the last year, so they would just send them out to everyone hoping people would respond and then BUY SOME SERVICE THEY OFFERED. Now, I just received one of the recent NCTUE letters and I just called to have them take me off their mailing list. They refused to do it. Now, I am going to try finding the Registered Agents name for NCTUE and send them a Cease and Desist Order. I would suggest others in the same spot do the same. Next step after that, is the FTC. What they are doing is unfair business practice.
Registered agent info for NCTUE is here:
https://ourcpa.cpa.state.tx.us/coa/servlet/cpa.app.coa.CoaGetTp?Pg=tpid&Search_Nm=National%20Consumer%20Telecommunications%20Data%20Exchan%20&Button=search&Search_ID=30119742705
Received my letter a week ago, couldn’t understand why I would receive this as most everything is EFT. Thanks for this link and info on this scam as my initial response was WTF.
I just returned home from a month long vacation. Low and behold there in my mail was a letter from NCTUE, dated 4-3-12. I, too am from Colorado and also have been with Verizon for over 15 years. I’ve never been late, as well as near perfect credit scores. First rule is never ever give out your SS#. I knew it had to be a scam. Thank you all for your responses. I plan to send a Cease and Desist order, which until now didn’t know existed. I also plan to call Verizon to find out why they are selling my info. Thanks for the links!!
Same story as everyone above except I called the number on their website and not on the letter. Funny thing was the letter was addressed to a residence I havent lived at in close to a year.
When I spoke with a ‘rep’ I (like a sucker) gave her some info to pull the report which said something about Verizon and AT&T and then led me to this post.
If I gave them my social what are some good steps to take to prevent any further fraud now that its out there?