I received a bill in the mail claiming I owed over $10,000 to a bank I had never heard of or done business with (Providian Bank). This was a collection agency and they were offering to spread my payments over 12 months (while graciously taking 20% off) or have me pay in one installment while taking 40% off the "original" balance.
Needless to say, this was a fraudulent claim and therefore I called the customer service dept. I was asked for my social security number (which I refused to give) and the account number on the bill. I sternly informed the representative that I had never done business with that bank and they were in error. He very quickly said that it was a mistake and he would take me off the list.
What was so strange was the speed with which he dismissed the account and how quickly he wanted to get off the phone. This is a huge scam and the company needs to be investigated.