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2.3 159 Reviews

Afni Complaints Summary

51 Resolved
108 Unresolved
Our verdict: Engaging with Afni, which has a below-average resolution rate, demands caution. Thoroughly assess their service reviews and explore how they handle unresolved complaints. If you encounter issues, document your experiences meticulously and be persistent in seeking resolutions.
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Afni reviews & complaints 159

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5:42 pm EDT

Afni cingular

What is it with CINGULAR I just got a bill from this collection saying I owe Cigular $65.95 but, afni Balance due $75.84. I had Cigular about 8 years ago I had settled out. Then year later a different collection angcy saying I owed them money it seem every year or so collections are saying I owe them money which now AT&T own them now. I;m getting really tired of these collections. The bad thing about this they like to wait a few years and scare you then you can't find your proof cause it was missed placed then when you call the company you had paid to the can't open your file. How can you put, a stop to this hassle? Thanks, Paula

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6:16 pm EDT

Afni Have wrong person

My son who is in the Army and is serving in Iraq received a collection notice from Afni, Inc.
I called and they were pressing me to pay it so that it doesn't show up on his credit report. I told them of my son's situation and that I would email him, but didn't know when he could get back to me. Afni said that it will go to the credit bureau soon. To keep my son's credit in tack while I emailed him I had them charge the bill to my credit card. I emailed my son and told him what it was and the address that they had on his records and he said he had never lived at that address. When I called them back and told them that they said that they couldn't do anything about it. I told them they had the wrong person. That didn't matter to them.

I thought it was weird that he would get a bill for something that was 5 years old. I was leary, but didn't want his credit to be affected.

They are trying to collect a bill that doesn't belong to my son.

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6:52 pm EDT

Afni False info on credit report

I was contacted by Identity Guard Service about a change in my credit report. They gave me the info on the company giving the change along with their phone number to reach them. When I called Afni the recording tells you that they are a collection agency and they are looking for info on a debt. When I got to a real person she was very nice but was looking for info on me. I gave her the number I had gotten for an account from Identity guard but she said it was not the hole number. Told her it said I owe $447.00 to a Factoring company, no other name. I had given her my name, address, old address and again she wanted my social security number. They had nothing on their computer about me. I asked how you can put something on my account without knowing who I am. I told her I had very good credit and it looks like a scam to get money from anyone that they want to by putting something on their credit report to make it look bad. Now she tells me to contact Equifax to get the right number with my credit report. I received the report Afni did put it my report. I called Afni gave the man my name and the account number on from the credit report an was told it is not the right number again an to call Equifax back to find the right number. He again tried to find me in their computers file but still could not find my name. He was helpful in checking but nothing was found.

I called Equifax an talked to a woman there. Gave her the confirmation number of the report they sent me and she checked my credit report. Nothing from Afin, Inc was there now. They had removed it from my record.

This company, Afni, Inc, looks to out to make you jump through hoops or pay them money for nothing.

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SASSY77
, US
Aug 10, 2016 5:45 am EDT

I GOT TWO LETTER FROM AFNI INC FROM BLOOMINGTON IL. SAYING I OWED 162.66 FROM DIRECTV I HAVE NEVER HAD DIRECTV IN MY NAME BEFORE AND NOT TO LONG A GO THEY SEND ME ONE SAYING I OWED VERIZON NORTH FOR 467.98 I MOVED BACK TO TENN. AND THEY SEND ME A CHECK FOR THE DIFFERENCE SO I NO THEY DONT NEED MY MONEY AND A NOTHER THING IS THEY SAID THEY WOULD SETTLED FOR 25.00 ON THE PHONE BILL AND I TRYED TO EMAIL MAIL THEM AND I COULDNT GET ANYWHERE WITH IT SO WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT IM NOT SENDING THEM MONEY SPECAILY AFTER I READ ALL THIS ON THIS PAGE I ALMOST DID SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE OH YEAH I FORGOT I HAD A DIFFERENT LAST NAME AT THE TIME TOO SO THERE NO WAY THIS IS MY BILLS WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS MADDER .

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Hector Fernandez
, US
Aug 10, 2016 5:45 am EDT

Received a bogus bill from this people, just like many others, asking for 50% settlement on a debt of $301.30 with Verizon Virginia, with a disconnected phone number that is invalid. Never been a customer of Verizon nor I live in Virginia or in the area ( resident of Florida). Called company and they gave me the last 4 four digits of my social security which was incorrect, immediately (spoke with Jerry) they told me they would correct account. For the record, I called Verizon and they were not cooperative (account verification department) after keeping in the line for few minutes checking my account, they told me my files were no long there, that they were sold to the collection agency (suspicious too!)... I am writing this to alert others, do not pay their bills!

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fedup
Chicago, US
Aug 10, 2016 5:45 am EDT

I just recieved a letter from Afni Inc, saying that they want to give me a offer settlement. The bill is orginally from $2995.00 but they want to offer me a settled amout of 1457.00. Who are these people. i've never had a ATT cell phone bill. Before SBC bought ATT and changed their name to ATT rather than SBC, I shunned away from ATT because I didnt' like thier products.

And for them to send me this letter, i returned the letter to them, telling them I never had an cell phone account with them.

ComplaintsBoard
V
3:30 am EDT
Resolved
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

Afni Rip off

I received a settlement letter for Verizon Md. for a past due phone bill from 1997. I had just moved and found it odd that this letter had my brand new address. I called the toll free number and inquired about why hadn't I seen this on my credit report - ever. And I wondered why they only accepted credit cards, not money orders, or pay by check over the phone... When I talked to the 'customer service rep' told me that it wasn't going to be reported to any credit agency. So of course I said, thats all I'm worried about anyway... and she hung up on me. So they can't be a real agency because NCO puts your past due stuff on your credit report immediately... so its safe to say don't send them anything---only pay whats on your credit report.

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2:49 pm EDT

Afni Fraudulent bill

Received a collection notice for an outstanding bill from Verizon New York Inc., in the amount of $219.88 dated 6/17/08. This is a SCAM! Collection notice lists NYC Department of Consumer Affairs License #1072175.

Letter processed by Dept. 555, PO Box 4115, Concord, CA 94524. Directed to respond to PO Box 3427, Bloomington, IL [protected]. OR access account online @ www.afnicollections.com.

TOTAL FRAUD! BEWARE! DON'T RESPOND!

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8:58 am EDT

Afni How to dispute an Afni Collections letter

I have read many of the complaints on this board related to Afni, and they all resemble my experience. I successfully disputed the collections letter Afni sent me, and I encourage anyone who is debating how to respond to a letter from Afni to follow the aproach I took. Furthermore, we should all band together to fight back against this fraudulent company by reporting their activities to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection exists to investigate fraud and protect us consumers from companies like Afni. Here is how I refuted the claim Afni sent me:

1. Read your letter. If it is the same as mine, it will give you a deadline to respond in writing to dispute the claim. You must respond by this deadline - the sooner the better.

2. Gather information. In my case, my wife and I have obtained two mortgages since the supposed outstanding balance existed. Nowhere in any of our credit checks or other paperwork did an outstanding balance with Verizon (where Afni claimed the balance existed) appear on our reports. I documented each of these credit checks, as well as ones I did when I bought my car and applied for credit for other things. This outstanding account did not appear on ANY of those credit reports.

3. Draft your letter. Be sure your letter is written without grammatical and spelling errors to demonstrate that you are serious and prepared to follow up on your letter with real action. In my letter to Afni, I cited all of the credit reports I pulled together as stated in #2, and I closed the letter by stating my expectation of a response in my favor within 30 days. I went on to say that Afni's failure to respond in that timeframe would result in my reporting Afni to the FTC. To show I was serious, I attached a copy of the FTC's consumer complaint form, which can be downloaded and printed from the FTC website (www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov).

4. Follow up with FTC. Afni responded to my letter within my deadline with a letter that stated they conducted an investigation on my account and as a result of the investigation, closed my account. They stated that Afni would take no further collection action at this time, and that credit reporting agencies would remove the account from my credit report (which is bogus, because as stated above, this never showed up on my credit reports).

Regardless of whether or not Afni responds in your favor, you should report them to the FTC. Companies like Afni prey on masses of people who are easily backed down when faced with threats against their credit, regardless of how dubious. Those of us who care about helping our fellow citizens fight back against predator companies like this need to band together and ask our government to work for us.

Good luck.

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RTN Roofing
, US
Mar 03, 2010 3:54 pm EST

Received a collection notice from this company stating that we owed $94.82 to Qwest. I called Qwest and the account number Afni had listed wasn't even valid. When I called Afni to request a copy of the invoice they stated we owed, I got hung up on. DO NOT SEND ANY MONEY TO THIS COMPANY! THEY ARE FRAUDS!

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aleitzel
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Jun 17, 2008 9:26 am EDT

Recieved settlement offer for a 10 year old phone bill with unknown number and area out of the blue. They say I owe $171 and will take $85.50 and be settled in full. It's in my maiden name and I have no record of living anywhere with that number. upon looking at all the thousands of complaints towards the company, and also have the same issue with the national home gardening club, RMCB is their collector and they state I owe them $226. I am finally begining to get the idea this new scam will worsen with the public in the next few years, if not legally dealt with. It's too time consuming and frustrating and that's why they get away with it. Some people just give in and pay to shut them up. I don't owe them and I don't have money to pursue a legal case! This has already taken to much of my time today!

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Anne Forrester
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Jan 26, 2008 12:00 am EST

I received a settlement offer for a BellSouth Mobility bill and i have not had service with Bell South in more that ten years. there were no details, account number or what the charges were for, and they are threatening to report this to my credit rating... Can something be done to stop this false and surely illegal company from distressing innocent people.

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Niki
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Mar 14, 2008 4:53 am EDT

I have received a "second attempt" (never received a first attempt) to collect on a debt originally from Verizon from this AFNI, Inc. They are offering me a settlement offer of half the amount due if I pay now. I do not owe the bill and will be contacting my attorney!

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Mar 13, 2008 8:00 am EDT

Afni, Inc. has been harassing me about an 8 year old phone bill they say I never paid. The address, phone number and dates are wrong. I never had a phone through the company they state as the original creditor, nor did I have a phone in my name on the dates they provide, and the phone number was wrong. I also did not live at the address they claim. After telling them the information they have is wrong, upon requests for more information they submitted suspicious looking "bills" and just modified the phone number and addresses. (They actually just used the a false address they had previously submitted from a city I never lived in and used it as a new address that used a city I had lived in.) I told them in writing that the bill was not mine, but they continue to harass me.

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sick of AT&T
Dumfries, US
Nov 05, 2007 12:00 am EST

I posted the following as a comment to another complaint about AFNI but, after seeing so many other complaints and comments, I thought I should repost it as a complaint so more people would see it. Whatever you do, DO NOT pay the debt and DO NOT even give them the impression that you might consider paying it.

In late September 2007, I received a letter from AFNI addressed to my husband for a supposed debt to Contel South. We had never dealt with Contel South before, and my first thought was that someone else had created the debt in my husband's name. A few days later, I received another one addressed to me, also showing the creditor as Contel South and showing a different phone number, so I started researching. I found that Contel South was connected to GTE, which in turn became Verizon. A then realized that the phone numbers were legitimate numbers that we had more than 10 years ago through GTE, but we owed nothing on either of them. The P.O. Box on our letters was the same as some other I've read here, 3427, but they came from Bloomington, IL and I've seen other comments here that stated they came from other states with the same P.O. Box.

I knew that it was a scam so, in each case, I went to their website and used their online contact form to dispute the debt, and simply said that it must be an error on the part of the original creditor, hoping that they would send me something else to use against them. Within three days of doing this, I received a form letter from AFNI for each case, enclosing a photocopy of a single page from an old bill, which looked identical to to the bill format that GTE used to use. In the meantime, I did some more research and found that, in most states, the statute of limitations on a debt of this type, even if it were legitimate, was three years.

Once I received the second letter in each case, I sent a letter to AFNI by certified mail with a return receipt to prove that they received it. Both letters I sent were identical except for the specifics regarding the amount, account numbers, dates, etc. Here is what I said:

"To Whom It May Concern:

Responsive to your letter dated October 9, 2007 (copy enclosed), I must reiterate that this debt is hereby disputed. As stated in my communication submitted through the AFNI website on October 8, 2007 (copy enclosed), when the referenced account was closed at my request more than 10 years ago, the account was paid in full and there was no balance due. Further, the photocopy of the bill dated October 13, 1997 enclosed with your letter referenced above confirms the zero balance. The notation on that bill referring to the amount of $97.22 as “UNCOLLECTIBLE (WRITEOFF-ACTIVITY)” is quite obviously an error on the part of the original creditor.

However, after sending the above referenced communication through your website, I contacted an attorney and verified that, even if the debt had been legitimate, which it obviously was not, the statute of limitations for debts of this type through Virginia courts is three years. Therefore, the statute of limitations for collection of this debt expired more than seven years ago.

Accordingly, I hereby request that you take the following actions regarding this debt:

1. Please contact any credit reporting agencies to whom you have reported this alleged debt, and inform them that I am disputing the debt; and

2. Please also forward a copy of this letter to the creditor who alleges that I owe the debt at issue, and inform them that I am disputing the debt.

Except as specifically outlined herein, I am hereby requesting that you immediately cease all contact with me about the alleged debt. Any further contact should be in strict conformity with the FDCPA. Specifically, it should be limited to informing me that you have ceased collection efforts on the alleged debt, or stating that you are taking a specific action in relation to the alleged debt such as commencing a collection lawsuit. Obviously, I would raise the statute of limitations as an absolute bar to any lawsuit.

Any further contact should be made in writing, and should be submitted to my home address by mail."

Regardless of whether or not your debt is legitimate, this letter should take care of it because it shows them that you are more informed than they thought, and there is no way that they will show their face in court. I received my return receipts and have heard nothing further from them, and I don't expect to. But, if I should hear from them in the future, I have copies of everything as proof, (including the name of their employee that signed for the both of the letters) and, if I have to, I will file a harassment lawsuit. The most important thing to remember is to dispute it from the beginning and never, ever give them the impression that you might be willing to pay or are even considering paying the debt because, as I understand it, the statute of limitations would then start over and they would probably harass you for another 3 years.

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Kioka Jones
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Oct 31, 2007 12:00 am EDT

I just received a collection notice from Afni, Inc for a Verizon bill for $271.44 for a telephone number that I never had. When I called and spoke to the rep named Natasha, she stated several addresses that I never lived at but seemed to have the last four digits of my correct social security number. She instructed me to go to their website and complete a fraud affidavit online. After reading several complaints about this company I am really scared now. I work in the financial services industry and see customers who are victims of Identity Theft all the time. Something should be done by Verizon and Consumer Affairs to stop Afni, Inc. from victimizing others.

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David Smith
,
Feb 26, 2007 12:00 am EST

I received a letter from AFNI stating that I owed AT&T Long Distance a balance of $76.12, but AFNI was allowing me to get off the hook for half that amount.

To my knowledge, I never had a long distance account with AT&T, but I decide to call AT%T to verify (sometimes this stuff can slip your mind). AT&T had no records and said my account was just fine. I went to 3 different people in AT&T--all of them said the same thing and had no idea what this AFNI letter was about.

So I called AFNI and asked for more information on this. She said it was a delinquent account from 1993? They gave my parents address (I never had my own account there).

When I asked the operator to give me more details, she said, 'what kind of details do you want?' I said, 'Understand, that if you expect anyone to write you a check, you are going to need to provide more details, such as the original phone number, etc.' She had nothing more than an address I was at in 1993. I then asked her if they were going to put a mark on my credit rating and she said 'no'. She said they purchase these accounts from creditors and try to collect for half.

So the letter is crafted in a way that makes it look like you will get a bad mark if you don't pay up, but in actuality, all they are doing is making a basic statement about the laws of creditors in general. A very sneaky company. This woman sounded as if she had already had a million conversations just like this one.

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Robert Carriveau
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Jul 23, 2007 12:00 am EDT

I have just received a second collection notice from AFNI, Inc. This second one is a "Settlement Offer"; giving me the option of paying half the original bogus overdue account. This so-called creditor is Verizon California, Inc. Like everyone else who has posted here, this bill is 100% fake. The website "www.afnicollections.com" is also all wrong. One of things that's a dead giveaway about that is the VeriSign logo on the site. If you hover over the logo and watch the bottom of your screen, nothing happens. If the logo was legitimate, it would show a web address in the bottom of the screen for VeriSign. This is all outrageous!

You cannot complain to the Attorney General of your state, either. This is mail fraud, and as such, is reportable to the United States Postal Service. DO NOT contact AFNI, Inc. To do so somehow gives their claim against you some kind of legitimacy.

Instead, go to the following address:

http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fraud/MailFraudComplaint.htm

Copy and paste into your browser address bar. You can file a complaint this way. Be sure to ask for confirmation that your complaint has been received. It will take several weeks, but you will receive notification by mail. If enough complaints are registered, the USPS is far more likely to investigate these rip-off artists! Do it now!

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pamela s. lopez
,
Nov 02, 2007 12:00 am EDT

well first of all i had gotten a bill stating that i had service in the name of Pamela Gabel well that had been my maiden name & i have been married for about 13 years. the company should have asked the person who was using my name for more description of who they had been. I have been trying to get my twin sister for fraud because, i have found out that she has been the one using my information quite a few times and i really don't appreciate being the one fault for what she has done. First of all she has lived in Clyde, Ohio quite a few times in apartments. I haven't lived over there and i dont like being the one getting blamed for something that i did not even do.

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9:50 am EDT

Afni Collection fraud

Also just received a letter from these jerks dated 4/25/2008. The letter was sent to my father's new house, and even he was surprised because I haven't received anything there since 2001. The bill is for $78.40 and they say that they will accept half. When I telephoned them, the guy right away gave up my last four digits on my SSN and an old address from 1999. I went to college there, so of course that is where they must have got the address, but I never had a cell phone back then. The original creditor is from Verizon Northwest Inc. which I thought it was called Verizon Wireless, but when I told the man I have never used Verizon before he stated that it originated from a GTE account which switched to Verizon. Still very fishy. I'm reporting them to BBB, and the Federal Trade Commission [protected] and also the Consumer Protection Agency in Washington: [protected]. I was also advised to write Afni Inc. having them send me a verification of this debt. Everyone needs to report these folks in order for them to be stopped.

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Manthu
,
Nov 05, 2007 12:00 am EST

This fraud should stop. I don't understand why BBB said they are in satisfactory. Where are the justice? I got a letter saying I owe version (which bought GTE company) 300 in 1999. I called Afni and according to what I get from them, the address and the time frame that I have the GTE phone service didn't match. I didn't live in that address during that time. I don't think I have long distance service at all. I never knew GTE phone company. That's one red flag.

Second: It has been 8 years, never receive any bill or any notice from any phone company.

Third: The guy trying me to pay 175 to settle and close the account. I argue down to $25 and after battling a while, they agree to take $25 and I have to provide them my bank account info or credit card #. I am not an idiot and not going to pay, off course.
This is very frustrating and harassing to me. These guys definitely should get punished!

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ralph
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Sep 09, 2008 8:51 am EDT

I received my second such notice from Afni, the first one having come a year or two ago. Like the one that arrived just yesterday, it's for a bogus Verizon charge (bogus because we've never been Verizon customers) for a phone number we've never had. Last time I called and spoke with someone who initially gave the impression of "oops, we've been caught red-handed in this scam" but then agreed to remove the charge. Now I've got to call and deal with those bozos again.

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1:04 pm EDT

Afni Debt collections

This company placed a collection on my credit report for $188 from Cingular. I have never had Cingular service. I have sent them a dispute letter many times, asking for validation of this debt. They either don't respond at all, or respond to tell me they can't verify anything because I haven't provided sufficient evidence.

I have demanded that they remove this item from my reports, but they refuse. I have complained to the BBB, and the FTC. Nothing. The credit bureaus won't do anything about it because Afni keeps "verifying" the account to them. How are they "verifying" anything to the bureaus if they don't actually have anything to verify it to me?

Afni, Inc. out of Bloomington, IL are ###. Bottom feeding debt collectors who don't play by the laws. They have many FDCPA violations now and I plan on suing them.

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S Kophs
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Dec 18, 2007 12:00 am EST

I received a collection notice that I owed $136.01 for an unpaid bill in 1997 for a Verizon Northwest, Inc account. The telephone number was not even my number from that timeframe ANFI says that there was an unpaid bill. Further, my telephone service provider was not Verizon during that time. In reviewing my canceled checks all monthly payments were made to my service provider, GTE, during the timeframe in which AFNI claims that there was an unpaid bill.

This is clearly a SCAM operation and should be filed with the Attorney General of Illinois consumer protection division as the AFNI Collection Notice came from that state with a copy to your state's Attorney General. Federal telecommunications authorities should also be notified.

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Fermin Feria
Guntersville, US
Aug 17, 2010 3:06 pm EDT

A few days ago, Id decided to purchase a vehicle and was told I had negative Item posted on my credit report from AFNI, INC. To my surprise I called them up and informed them that this is an error and remove the false entry form my report. I was accused of blaming other for my poor paying habit. Can you believe that S_IT ? I always monitor my credit and check my score to ensure it’s over 775. I wouldn’t compromise my credit for a mere 200 dollars. They are so rude and unprofessional and I will fight this tell it gets resolved.

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dondie gorski
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Jan 25, 2007 12:00 am EST

Afni is also going after me also for a verizon bill, how weird is that? For an outrageous amount of 529.79. What is hilarious about the location and phone number they are using is in another state that i used to live at in 1997 and the bill was for 2017. I moved to Nevada in 1997 and they are saying that it is from 2017. I don't think so, I have been living in Nevada since 1997. This company needs to be investigated. This company is going to make too many mistakes and find out they chose a person that can have close people that are in law enforcement check this out.

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Kate West
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Jul 23, 2008 3:40 pm EDT

This company has sent repeated collection notices to me regarding a 7 year old bill allegedly from Verizon Select Services Inc. for $178.94. I've called Verizon and verified that I do not owe any amount for this account, and that the account was closed by Verizon and never sent to collections. When I called Afni, Inc., "Stacia" told me repeatedly that Verizon was wrong, that they have a statement from Verizon requesting that Afni collect money from me, and that whoever I spoke to at Verizon has no idea what they're talking about because they can't access my old account anymore since it's been purchased by Afni. This is fraudulent.

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Jacquelinemae
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Jun 09, 2008 1:47 pm EDT

this acct is not mine; it's for Dish Network that I never had at this time. I also never lived at the address it was associated with. I disputed it once when listed through ER Solutions and it was removed from my credit report. Then appeared again under AFNI, INC. I cannot find a physical address for this so that I can write them and when I disputed online thru Experian, AFNI reported back as this was a correct billing. They are lying through their very souls. IT is causing my credit rating to be lower. I am at my wits end. Cannot figure out what else to do. This is not my account and I wish companies like this who just won't do things honestly can be held accountable for ruining someones credit. I am really angry. It wouldn't have been removed the 1st time had it not been invalid. Any ideas what to do next?

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jdodson_303
Madison, US
Jan 17, 2009 10:30 am EST

Three years after Cingular sent me a paid in full invoice with a thank you, I get a nasty note from afni.Inc. The letter said I had an outstanding Cingular bill for $299 that was three years old. I called afni and spoke with the rudest person I have ever had the misfortune to speak with. I wanted to get to the bottom of what I was certain was a mistake. He won’t say anything except that if I did not make a partial payment immediately he was going to trash my credit. I was polite but firm, I wasn’t going to pay anything until I was certain I owed it.

BIG MISTAKE. That heaping pile of parrot droppings at anfi slammed my credit, most likely the moment I hung up. However, I did not know that at the time. I immediately called Cingular. They admitted that they had screwed up by sending a final bill, one they had not told me about on the phone, to my son’s college address SIX months after he’d graduated. I paid on condition that they call off anfi. The polite, but apparently clueless CS Rep, assured me that Cingular would do the right thing. WRONG!

BOTTOM LINE: Even though I have never missed a payment or been late on any payment EVER. AMEX lowered my credit limit without bothering to tell me my cards were over the limit. For the first time in my long life, I had my cards refused at a merchant to my deep embarrassment.

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robynruff77
Talent, US
Feb 22, 2010 8:26 pm EST

AFNI put a false account of $665 dollars on my credit report!

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Glenda Hasler
Oklahoma City, US
May 26, 2009 11:53 am EDT

I require a signed, dated copy of this account. Thank you, Glenda Hasler

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The Deaf Guy
Fullerton, US
Jul 17, 2011 4:54 am EDT

They are flakes... I filed a consumer complaint with the State Attorney for Illinois, that is where they re.. State Attorney of your home state, Federal Trades Commission, BBB, Postal inspector using USPS to defraud public. They tried the same thing with me.
i did what i was telling you above. Afni replied to my complain with BBB... look what their reply email is saying... but don't laugh!
(i did... and wet me knickers):

June 27, 2017

Dispute Resolution
Case Manager/Business Practices
BBB Complaint Department
bbb@heart.net

RE: Mr. Tim Celasun Case # [protected]
Afni, Inc. Account [protected]-01; Verizon Account [protected]

This is in response to your letter to Afni, Inc., regarding the above referenced matter. We appreciate your assistance in bringing our consumer's concerns to our attention. In that regard, on or about March 2017, AT&T notified Afni the above referenced account remained due and owing from Mr.XXXXXXX. This account was established on March 1, 2017 and was considered delinquent by the creditor on October 24, 2017. The service address for the account was his still-current address.

let me explain it to you--not everyone is as smart as they are LOL

It says on or about March 2017 AT&T notified Afni ... an account will be established by Mr. C on March 1, 2017 and will be
considered delinquent by the creditor (AT&T) on October 24, 2017>

How in hell is that possible... I don't know... but look on top of their letter, ...it says Verizone which i never has... and with this
crap in their hand, went and flagged the credit files... NON of the accounts mentioned here not, never was my account...

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katrinadi
, US
Apr 27, 2011 7:47 am EDT

That doesn't work here. You have to send it to them.

ComplaintsBoard
F
12:58 am EDT

Afni Complaining about bill that you did not run up the bill file identity theft instead of blaming people that are just doing there jobs

What the since in you filing a complaint about afni. Afni does not read this nor does anyone you can change it. It makes you people look like you do know where the bills came from but you dont want to admitt it. If you file identity theft since "supposely" you didnt run up the bill, then it will be taken care of, you will not be at fault.

Reading the request/complaints on line. No one as said anything about filing identity theft. That is thing that afni ask you. We determine that if you dont want to file identity theft that there is something that u dont want them to dig up. I work in an investigation department varies companies. Its a small company but we are highly trained in finding people and there accounts. When you file identity theft depending on the case and importants it gets sent to us and we and find out who opened an account, when and where and if it was a while ago or back in1989 or later might actual be able to get a picture. But when you write complaints and say that u didnt do it. The first thing that these companies will look at "ummm" has the people made any attempt for file reports actual legal report that require investion about the issue. Just sounds really guilty too me!

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TruthSpeaks Loudly
Houston, US
Aug 16, 2022 10:45 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

2008, are you still alive, or did you get an education and a real job? The Federal Consent Order signed by their Leader proves everything the writers have said here. There is more. They were Hacked. Instead of notifying the victims of their Failed IT Security, they sat on it and caused further harm to the as individuals. Inter-State Fraud ? Tell us more about "Identity Theft" silly man and don't forget to capitalize every pointless word you write, just like a true drama queen. It's not enough to seek justice or prove ID Theft. The burden is on THEM to prove the debts they claim, and all the 3rd worlders calling on all the Fake Numbers will never change that. Making money off them needs to be exposed as what it is, Racketeering After The Fact. But it's not just them. It's their "clients" that will be exposed, they know their illegal methods, and it just so happens, Attorneys are winding that clock. Class Action? Let the games begin.

https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_afni-inc_consent-order_2020-11.pdf

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jmt007
Mt Vernon, US
Nov 03, 2009 8:39 pm EST

Exactly right, the fraudulent behavior of these companies is the "PROBLEM", not honest people who because they are NORMAL, ETHICAL, and INTELLIGENT would not only question such ignorant conduct and blatant disregard for the law by these deceitful companies, but EXPECT it be stopped! How do you stop any crime, by telling others, reporting it to the authorities and holding those who are responsible "accountable", exactly what these people are doing. Keep on reporting to your state attorney generals office and the FTC people, it is time the people and legal authorities in this country start standing up against parasitical companies such as these. They need to get off their lazy rearends and WORK for a living..con artists belong in prison, not on the street..crime is crime, white collar or blue.

jimmysd31
jimmysd31
Palm Springs, US
Feb 25, 2009 7:29 am EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I will take the uptight collection agent's advice. Complainants on this board can hold AFNI accountable. We have ample evidence to pursue a class-action against AFNI and the thinly-veiled association of cellular carriers that keeps AFNI in business. Let's make a difference and hold AFNI and the telecoms accountable for their flagrant disregard of FDCPA and consumer rights.

Who knows? Maybe AFNI will be driven out of business and a shady collection agent may actually find a vocation that will change his outlook.

Peace/Karma/Pay Forward

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FixYourself
,
Jul 24, 2008 5:11 pm EDT

No one cares what you "think"! Neither you nor the "investigative" company you supposedly work for have any right to determine anything based on your gut feelings or assumptions. We all know what assumptions lead to, and you are living proof.

You have no idea what other steps people have taken before or after they gather here to complain about an entity who uses deception and unethical practices to harass and make themselves a general nuisance to people that they know do not owe the debt they are trying to collect.

Your lack of grammar or cohesive statements is probably a testament to your thought processes and lack of intelligence. The "investigative" company you claim to work for is probably as unethical as most. You claim to be highly trained, but you don't sound trainable. They hire people like you who are too intimidated or too unintelligent to question their unethical practices. You, and they, are a boil on the butt of humanity, living on the troubles of innocent or unfortunate people. You sound more like a barely trained monkey. Every fact here "sounds guilty" to you because of who you are. You probably can't trust anyone because you yourself are not worthy of trust.

Get over yourself, try to get an education, and find a job with purpose. I am sure there is a community college or trade school somewhere that will accept even you. While it may be too late to change what nature gave you as far as intelligence, it is never too late to change your standards.

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1:00 pm EDT

Afni Non existent account debt

Issue of double billing was settled with Verizon in 2017. The phone number in question was transfered to another person in the family and both parties were billed by Verizon. Needless to say, that phone remained in service with Verizon for years afterward.

Now 5 years later we get this letter from AFNI attempting to collect on a bill that was paid, and the error acknowledged by Verizon. Apparently, this is a special form of consumer fraud that is AFNI's milieu. I responded in written form and included the following:

Therefore, you are requested to :
• Provide me with the name, address, and phone number of the party or parties employed by Verizon who initiated this action. Full disclosure is required by federal regulation.
• In addition, you are requested to provide this in written form and refrain from any telephone communication prior to the receipt of such documentation.

Please be advised in advance that all calls from your agency will be recorded. We shall request the name of the employee and the supervisor on duty at the time so please be prepared to provide that information slowly and clearly. Failure to adhere to FCC rules will be reported and all appropriate legal action shall be pursued.

Needless to say, AFNI’s record of violation leading to class action suit in Illinois is of real interest to me and my attorneys.

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William P Smith Jr
,
Nov 09, 2007 12:00 am EST

Yesterday 11/08/2017 I received a collection notice from Afni Inc in reference to a disconnect bill from Verizon in 1998 in Maryland. They informed me the phone was connected in March 1998 and was disconnected in November 1998. The address was just down the block from where I did live in Maryland, but I lived there only from Sept 1984 to June 1986. They told me "just pay the bill". When I asked them to send me any documentation they had stating it was really me he told me that I HAD THE BURDEN OF PROOF that this was not me. At that point I contacted Verizon and they have no record of me owing them anything, but if it was sold to Afni they would have ALL of my records. I again called Afni -- now the scary part -- when I asked them for the last 4 digit of my SS # they were right. When all of this phone connection and disconnecting took place in 1998 I had already been living in upstate NY for 6 years. I move to North Carolina in 2017 and am now just hearing about this bogus collection attempt.

It appears that Identity Theft is here somewhere. I have contacted the Credit Bureaus and FCC to report this Identity Theft.
After reading all of the complaints against Afni it makes me wonder if they are in any way involved.

Any help you could offer to help resolve this problem would be greatly appreciated. I don't know what else to do.

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Just my opinion
Miami, US
Nov 11, 2007 2:31 pm EST

AFNI are con artists - identity thieves...

ComplaintsBoard
K
2:52 pm EDT

Afni Fraud Collection Statement

I am an AT&T customer currently and have never been with Cingular wireless. I recieved a collection bill in the mail from AFNI stating that I had an outstanding debt of $80.50 from Cingular wireless. It gave account numbers and everything. I contact AT&T since they bought Cingular and they varified that there is no outstanding issues with my acccount. I found this site when I was trying to figure out who AFNI was and thought I would add my 2 cents. AT&T has been great and has their fraud department looking into this. I will let you know how it all turns out, but in the mean time if you are a AT&T (formerly Cingular) customer and you get a bill from AFNI, DO NOT PAY IT and contact AT&T immediately.

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10:39 am EDT

Afni fake phone collection bill

This is in reference to the collection notice that we received dated 5/28/08 in the alleged amount of $69.97 for Afni, Inc. for Account No. [protected]-02-Creditor Account #2BY23330. WE DO NOT have an account with MCI and have not for over 10 years . When I tried to email them it would not allow me to only to call. My husband tried calling and was on the telephone on hold for a long time...

Because we have excellent credit, and this notice in the wrong hands could do a person harm...especially receiving THREATENING collection notices from a fake company and they need to be punished. I need to know that nothing will happen to our credit. Please write back

If we receive another notice from this fake company, I will turn this over to the attorney general for false collection.

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Doug Koss
,
Jun 03, 2008 3:38 pm EDT

I also received a "COLLECTION NOTICE" from these idiots. They claim I owe MCI $104.12. Never had MCI. I have tried to contact them to no avail. I will be calling my attorney tomorrow.

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5:39 pm EDT

Afni recieved settlement offer re money owed to Verizon on account never owned and name not used in 2o years plus name is spelled incorrectly

recieved a settlement offer regarding an alleged account that I owe money to, for one I have never had the listed number, two I have never used the name in 20 years they are stating on the bill plus it is misspelled, and I called several times and have been unable to contact anyone. I have only had Verizon since my recent marriage?

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uspvteyes
Lakeland, US
Apr 13, 2009 11:56 pm EDT

They get names from old phone books and some are 25 years old.
Total fraud.

ComplaintsBoard
S
8:44 pm EDT

Afni settle offer for a bell atlantic/verizon bill

i received a letter from afni inc. saying i had a past due bill from an account in ny 10 years ago.. i never lived in new york or knew anyone in new york... they seemed to know my soc. sec. number and asked me to verify that and my drivers license number (which being a trusting person i gave them)... i just goggled them to find that many people seemed to have received these letters and i'm worried that they might be a scam and now have my information.. is there anything i can do to protect myself? they claimed to be mailing me a package that i have to fill out to prove to them i never lived in new york and didn't make the account that they say i didn't pay... please help me to know what i can do now to protect myself..

thank you,

scott allen martinez

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10:36 am EDT

Afni Something's fishy about Afni

I am very glad to read that I'm not the only one that's being hassled by Afni for claims of debts to phone companies. I recieved a letter in 1/08 stating that I owed over $1000 to Cingular Wireless for a bill in 2001! Afni so generously has offered to settle with me for $500 and change. I have been sick over this trying to track down old bank statements and old cell phone bills to clear this up so that it wouldn't affect my credit. It is particularly peculiar to me since I have had cell service with Cingular Wireless continually since 1998. Why would they still provide me with service if I owed them that sum of money? Also, I have seen my credit report several times since 2001 and never once did this debt show up on it. I have contacted Cingular regarding this to see if they could help me to settle it and they have been of very little help. They show that my account has had a zero balance every month but they are unable to send me a zero balance letter without me providing them with a bank statement showing that I paid them. Now, if we can only figure out where to go from here... I would really like some advice on this situation. If anyone can provide me with any help I would greatly appreciate it.

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Cyndi
,
Oct 20, 2008 7:53 pm EDT

Recently pulled my free credit report and credit score, the other night, to see what my score had looked like. My report should have shown no negative entries, just an open credit card account, which is in good standing.
To my surprise, there was a negative entry from AFNI Collections. I further investigated my credit report, as I was quite shocked as to what I would be reflecting negative on my credit report. It was for a Qwest account, for $142.00. I have not had Qwest service since 1999, it is now 2008 almost 2009. This bill has been paid in full years ago. It states that this account has been past due since 2008. I have disputed this entry on my credit report and hopefully it will be removed soon.
Also, check out budhibbs.com. We will be writing a cease and desist letter, as well as contacting the Il Attorney General and adding a complaint to there long list of complaints already filed against AFNI.
This certainly is the last thing I need on my report. I am in the process of buying my first home and certainly do not need this affecting my chances of getting the loan.

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Ken Tamblyn
,
Aug 04, 2008 10:42 am EDT

I just got a bill for $141 from afni for Qwest. Hmmm, that is funny because I DO NOT HAVE QWEST as my telephone service. I thought I had been the victim of identity theft, but after investigating the phone number they provided, Quest does not even have any record of that phone number.

I will be filing a complaint right away.

This company is a scam. Do NOT pay the bill, and do not worry about any credit ratings by this company. If they do put a bad credit rating on you, you can sue them for $1, 000, 000 or more.

ComplaintsBoard
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11:24 pm EDT

Afni Fraudulent Debt Collection Agency

So this Anfi Company sends an anonymous form letter insisting that 7 years ago I owed Cingular $50. How is it that in all of those years I never received anything in the mail from Cingular?
Their website is fake. Their phone number connects to some guy that tells you that you are a deadbeat for not paying your bills and tells you to pay-up.
I heard this was the start of some new work-from-home business scam where they buy un-verified debt for $0.03 per dollar owed and then try and collect on it. I guess as long as more than 3% of the saps they contact pay up- they make thier money back and then some.

Since my "debt" isn't real- I end up getting put out MY time, money, frustration, and hassle to prove to them that I don't owe anything? I requested verification of the debt and I assume that after a litany of annoying phone calls, letters, and payments to USPS to pay for certified mailings it will disappear on its own- but my complaint is WHAT A PAIN! Why are these scam artists allowed to operate on the fringes of legality trying to make honest people squirm. It should be illegal!

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4:25 pm EDT

Afni FALSE COLLECTION ACCOUNT RECORED ON CREDIT REPORT

Today I reviewed my credit reporta collection agency called Afni, Inc reported that alleging I have a Collection account. $214 past due as of Feb 2008. Lookin into the company that they are trying to collect on this account for is Charter Communications this has provided my phone intranet and cable tv service for about 7 months. I called Charter to check and see if I had a 214.00 past due amount on my account. She said no I have kept a credit on my account for the last 4 months and have never been late. They never once mentioned I owed any amount of money when they ran my credit to get service. I explained what I had discovered on my credit and she gave me the number to AFNI they had and it is not a working number. I found a web sight with a 24/7 number and it is not working either. How can a company report a false collection account on your credit report. How do I get this removed

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9:21 pm EDT

Afni Scam!!! Harassing phone calls

My mother receiving letters and harassing phone calls from Afni, Inc. The letters are stating that she owes $350.15 from a Cingular account she (supposively) had back in 2000. It's obviously a scam from what i'm getting from all the investigating I've done. I went back to the comments on this site in 2007 and their is an Attorney from New York that states to contact your local police department, State Attorney General, FTC (Federal Trades Commision). Be sure to check your credit report because alot of us are seeing this company put fradulent bills on our credit. He was saying that if anyone wants to join him in making a joint complaint suit on Afni then to email him, he says its better to have several complaints then 1 (1 complaint is more likely to get dismissed, a huge amount would be better). I agree with him on this, he also said that he has practiced law for 18 years, he plans to not only sue Afni, Inc. but also Verizon. Well my case is Cingular, but if he is certain to do something about this then maybe we can too, maybe we can get people going through the same thing together and find someone to represent us together, or individually. He made a huge point, that Afni is using the State of Illinois as a base for their fradulent & possible criminal activity.
My mother has cronic Lupus, and the stress of this all has made her more sick, They call her everyday and when she asked the guy to stop calling he yelled at her and told her "he will call ANYTIME he wants" well not if I can do anything to stop them. I want this company to suffer for what they have put my mother and all of you through. Please join me in taking the steps the attorney says to take (the steps I listed above) If I can help any of you with anything, don't hesitate to email me above.
By the way, the Attorneys name that wrote the comment is Robert Kingman from New York,

Also Afni's license (which might come handy while filing your complaint with your states Consumer Affairs) # 1072175

God Bless! Michelle Werner

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Vanessa Sybrandy
Windber, US
Jul 13, 2008 8:01 am EDT

I didn't realize they were fraudulent, sent them a check. They changed the amount to 143.43 instead of 43.43. They are calling to harrass me because their doctoring of my check did not go through.

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S
12:22 am EDT

Afni Afni Inc.

Hello all,

Any suggestions for what I should include in my second response letter to Afni?

Here is all my info:

Around 2/11/2008 I received a Collection Notice from Afni, Inc. (PO Box 3427, Bloomington, IL [protected]).

They were asking for $81.11 from Verizon Select Services. Inc. This was for a phone number that I have not had since around 2000, which was closed and paid off at the time.

Research online immediately revealed a volume of complaints of fraudulent bills from Afni.

I didn't bother to call them. I wrote a letter saying the following:

1) I dispute the validity of the debt.
2) I've never had an account with Verizon nor have I ever been contacted to pay any sort of balance with them
3) The FTC and Fair Debt Collections Practices Act prohibit debt collection by a third party after statute of limitations (4 years in California, 5 years in Illinois, where I used to reside). Therefore, this debt cannot be legally be requested or reported to credit reporting agencies.
4) I request immediate cease and desist of all contact with me unless the original creditor has contacted me first with a certifited letter.
5) Afni must file a letter with all credit agencies that I have disputed the claim of this billing

In retrospect, I should have just disputed the validity of the debt, cited the statute of limitations and requested a cease and desist - Best NEVER to even remotely imply you'd be willing to pay bill.

Also, I CC'ed the VP of Afni Inc, the Attorney Generals for Illinois and California, and the Federal Trade Commission in DC.

---

About 11 days later, I received the following curious response:

"This letter is to inform you that in accordance with 15 USC 1692c(c) we are acknowledging your request to cease communication with you regarding this debt.

Per your request, we have validated the account with the original creditor, including account number and balance due. The name of the original creditor is Verizon. The original creditor's address is 1135 E. Chocolate Ave, Hershey, PA 18033.

This letter is from a debt collector. Consumers have the right to inspect their credit.

Afni, Inc.
404 Brock Drive
PO Box 3427
Bloomington, IL [protected]"

...ALSO included was an empty, blank return envelope, and a "bill" dated April 16, 1999.

...The "bill" said the following:

"05483- BILLING FOR GTE LONG DISTANCE
COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES
BILLING FOR GTE LONG DISTANCE
ADDING AND CHANGING SERVICE
[protected]
SERVICES PREVIOUSLY BILLED BUT NOT USED
GTELD INTOUCH 24 DAYS @ 3.00/MO 2.40-FS Q
0407
CUSTOMER SERVICE REMOVAL ORDER [protected]
GTELD INTOUCH CREDIT 24 DAYS @ 3.00/MO 2.4 FS Q
SUBTOTAL .00
TOTAL .00
TOTAL FOR GTE LONG DISTANCE CHARGES .00

--

I laughed when I saw this. They say they "acknowledge" the FDCPA (which I had cited in my letter). Yet they won't say "we made a mistake, never mind" (hey, ya never know...). Instead, they still vaguely slip in a bill, hoping that I'll still pay them - which I will not.

I'm not sure what entirely to make of this "bill" - anyone can fabricate a bill. And this one seems intentionally confusing - it says I owe total ".00" and yet my final bill is $81.11...?

So now, I have to write them back a second time and reiterate that they can't ask for collection on this "bill", per statute of limitations, and they must cease contact with me and confirm that my account is closed.

------> Does anyone out there have any suggestions for other things to include in my reponse? Thanks for your prompt insights.

I have no doubt that I am obliged to pay such a fraudulent balance and that I'm protected by the law. I've pulled all three of credit agencies of my report and they are all perfect, with nothing reported from Afni. So far, the most annoying thing has been the giant waste of time.

Good luck to you all!

Susan
Los Angeles

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7:27 am EDT

Afni fraudulent bill for collection!

I was denied for credit because of a false report from Afni, Inc. They said verizon put this account in to collection. I have never had a verizon phone or any kind of service with them. When I did a search on the internet there was another person from Nampa, Id that the same thing happened to. He said he paid the bill to get it off of his credit report. Is there more out there like this? Sounds like a scam to me.

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Afni contacts

Phone numbers

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Website

www.afni.com

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