Steve
Bradenton,#2Consumer Suggestion
Sat, September 30, 2006
Natasha, You are lucky enough to have the same or similar name to someone who owes the money. They are fishing and everyone with that same or similar name got the same letter. NCO, like many other JUNK DEBT BUYERS purchase large portfolios of these types of debts for far less than a penny on a dollar, most being past the legal statute of collections, making them legally UNCOLLECTABLE. This is the game they play, they want you to make some sort of payment or agreement to pay which restarts the SOL and thereby makes it legally collectable. You mentioned that your husband said to "pay it to get it off your credit". NEVER DO THIS!! Paying a collection accout will not remove it from your credit. It will simply show as a "paid collection" and make the negative more recent, and it turn will lower your credit score. Did you actually see it on your credit report? I ask this because they need your SS# to put something on your credit report. Read some of the other threads here on ROR on debt collections and NCO Group, NCO Financial, and NCO Portfolio Mgmt. Send a DEBT VALIDATION request by the means I specified in many of those posts. STAY OFF THE PHONE! Never speak to any collector on the phone. Also go to FTC.gov and click on the "for consumers" tab and go to "rules and acts" and read the FDCPA and the FCRA to learn your rights.