Debt Collector SCAMS, also Advice needed

[Beta Man]

Just thought I'd post my recent experience (and past) with this scam.

Here's what happened......

I had a cell phone that I switched plans with.

A debt collector called my father 7 years later, trying to find me. My father called me on my cell (different company etc) to give me their number, and tell me I better get it cleared up.....

I was on vacation with my girlfriend (now wife) at the time, and called the number he gave me, and they said the cell company sent me to collections, which is where they came into play.....

I told them I closed out that account YEARS ago, and they offered up the possibility that I had a left-over balance that was pro-rated from account activity that occurred AFTER I paid my final bill...... I called the old cell-company, and they said they wouldn't have any account info regarding me if they had sent it to collections, and it was out of their hands now, and I needed to deal with the collection agency. I was young/dumb and believed that I truly owed money which now was in collections, and with the late-fees, etc. that was tacked on, I ended up sending this collection agency $200+ to get this issue resolved.

Well..... today, 6 years after that last collection fiasco, I got a letter from a collection agency saying I owed $75 for the same cell-phone account from 12 or 13 years ago. I called the number and told the guy I paid a collection agency 6 years ago regarding this account, and he put it in as a "dispute" and after I mentioned getting a lawyer to look into it because I had no record of it on credit reports pulled for a recent mortgage etc.... and he backed down pretty quickly and said he'd file it as a dispute.

I googled the name of the collection agency (ALW Sourcing LLC) and google exploded with sites about fraud etc.

I pulled a new credit report, and my account history makes no mention of any accounts in default etc..... and my credit is perfect.

The letter was sent Pre-sorted first-class (not certified etc) and it had a return envelope to send them a check

It appears this is a popular scam now, because I spoke with a neighbor who does investment banking to ask him if he knew anything about it, and he was contacted about a Credit-Card that they said he owed on from 5 years before he was born

The scam is based on the fact that they buy up old account information, and then make you believe that you failed to close out/pay some account.

I guess with the credit troubles of so many people, it's easy to be duped into believing they are legitimate, or in my case from 12+ years ago, they scared me into sending them money because I wanted to protect my good credit and not ignore the threats of what I thought was a legitimate dept collection agency.


To go further with this, does anyone know of an appropriate agency I can relay my experience with, in order to put some heat on these guys? I do not know for sure if this "Collector" was the same one I sent $200 to 6 or 7 years ago, but I can at least make a claim that they are currently soliciting me for a fraudulent debt. The person I spoke with offered up my last 4 digits of my SS# over the phone, and verified my name etc.. from the "Claim #" that was on the letter I received. I'm sure it's not difficult to obtain the last 4 digits of a SS# from a past credit report etc..... and I did not give him any personal information...... he wanted me to verify my entire SS# and I refused.

The letter says I need to inform them in writing within 30 days, or they assume the debt as valid...... since it wasn't sent certified etc. I will disregard this, and offer them no more communications directly.