Original Creditor Says they have no documentation

[oceanlover]

I had a friend who called a collection agency that was trying to collect on a debt that they don't believe is theirs. The collection agency said they would give them all the original documentation and details about the account if they filed an id theft paper and police report and mailed it to them. So then the friend called the original creditor to get information about the account. The original creditor stated that they have absolutely nothing concerning the account. They can't tell them the date of service, the address of service, nothing.

So should the friend go through the process of filing id theft and police report or just ask the collection agency to validate or verify the debt?

And yes, I have told the friend to no longer talk on the phone, do it in writing.

[Anonymous]

No!  That is a great way to become a victim of ID theft --- straight DV and nothing more.

[fused]

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oceanlover wrote:

I had a friend who called a collection agency that was trying to collect on a debt that they don't believe is theirs. The collection agency said they would give them all the original documentation and details about the account if they filed an id theft paper and police report and mailed it to them. So then the friend called the original creditor to get information about the account. The original creditor stated that they have absolutely nothing concerning the account. They can't tell them the date of service, the address of service, nothing.

So should the friend go through the process of filing id theft and police report or just ask the collection agency to validate or verify the debt?

And yes, I have told the friend to no longer talk on the phone, do it in writing.

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Does your friend's credit report show a bad trade line being reported by the OC and a collection account by the CA?

[oceanlover]

Does your friend's credit report show a bad trade line being reported by the OC and a collection account by the CA?

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Yes it does. She didn't realize it was on there until she got the letter from the CA and pulled her report. That is when she called the CA and then the OC. She travelled a lot for work and her husband dealt with the bills. It is from a telephone company. He recently died and she just wants to make sure that this is in fact their bill. Their home phone was/is in her name, but this is from a different carrier. She doesn't know if maybe he had switched long distance carriers for a brief time and this bill was overlooked or what. According to her CR, it was from 5 years ago. Wasn't reported by anyone last year when she obtained her CR, but she just pulled again and it is. As he is dead, she can't verify with him that maybe it was an overlooked bill or what. She doesn't remember ever getting anything from the OC. It is for a small amount and she doesn't mind paying it right away if it is valid. She doesn't want to file an identity theft report and police report if it is actually her bill. But doesn't want to pay if it isn't her bill.