Afni review: Scam Debt Collector ( 11 comments)

I didn't even get a letter from Afni. I just found their entry on my credit report last year. It was for a piddly $39 on a cable bill that I had paid in full to another collection agency 2 years before. They never sent me any documentation on the debt, just a letter saying it was verified. To make matters worse, the cable company was bought out by a different company several years ago. I contested it on my credit report just recently and got a letter saying that it had been verified with the agency. So now that it's on my credit, how do I get it off? I'm so glad I googled Afni tonight. I haven't found a single positive thing about them and I'm really glad to find that this is just a scam.

I received a collection notice from Afni stating that I owe over $700 for a Verizon bill I had in NYC over 7 years ago. I had dealt with Verizon directly on this matter when I first received the bill from them. The statute of limitations is up on this bogus debt. When I explained that to the Afni rep. he said there was "no such thing" as a statute of limitations. They are obviously a scavenger debt collector. I will not have my good credit ruined by these thieves!

I just received a bill from afni, saying that I owe verizon of Ca. $249.00. I have never lived in Ca. Afni has now determined that I have lived there because my name and SS# was used on the account. The operator keeps says "how would you like to pay this?"

OMG, what a fraud...

My wife received a notice of collections for an Alltel bill from this Afni collections agency for nearly $800 for some cell phone service I was supposed to have had. I HAVE NEVER USED ALLTEL in the 10 years I have been using cellular phone connections. This has got to be some sort of fraud scheme going on. I recently received a loan to have a home built, pay ALL my bills on time and then some, and take great pride in my AAA credit history. I have never heard of or seen or have ever received anything from Alltel EVER. What the heck is going on Afni? Also, the day after my wife received the notice I called the toll free 866 # to dispute this matter; the number would not go through. Some sort of funny business you guys got going Afni. I am currently serving in Iraq and if this matter is going to go further Afni will be hearing from my JAG officer faster than they can accuse me twice of owing Alltel one red cent!

My daughter had an account with Cingular many years ago, which, after the telephone stopped working, she canceled and went with another company. In addition, at that time, she was a minor. This happened over 5 years ago. Mysteriously, Cingular has no record of the cancellation and has turned the account over to AFNI which has started harassing her for a payment in excess of $450.00, which she does not owe. They even lied to her, saying she had made a payment on the account within the past year or so, knowing that the collection, if valid, would be barred by the statute of limitations. Despite repeated demands for some type of verification and itemization, all requests have been ignored. I would like to hear from anyone else that has had problems with this company, as I am gathering information for a formal complaint with the Florida Attorney General's Office for investigation.

I received a Collection Notice from Afni, Inc. on 6/29/07 saying that I owed Verizon California Inc. $268.43 on a phone number that I had 10 years ago. So I called them and they told me that my Verizon account had been turned over to them for collection. My first thought was to pay the amount owed or at least a settlement amount, as I did not want this to reflect on my credit. After some thought I asked AFNI, to send me proof/validation that I did owe this account to Verizon, and they told me they would be the end of July. I did not get proof from them, instead I received another letter dated 7/17/07, asking for payment again. This time I decided to call Verizon and have them check their records for any amounts outstanding that I may have owed them. They could not find any records of any amounts I owed them. They told me to call AFNI, back and speak to the Verizon liasion, which I did call them and they told me anyone could help me and that the Verizon person there is for cell phones only and not land line phones. I know now that I do not owe this money after reading other complaints filed on behalf of this Company, they were just trying to see how much money they could get from me. I am glad now that I did not send them any money. I am going to write that letter to them, disputing this debt that I found on this complaint board.

Received collection letters from AFNI regarding Verizon telephone service for multiple accounts dated from 1994 to 1998. I really doubt the authenticity of the charges since common sense business practices would not allow a customer to open successive account while carrying balances from previous accounts. I can't understand how Verizon would open a new account for an individual while have an unpaid balance from a previous account.

I'm afraid this is a scam!

I think I have everyone beat. This company sent me a letter saying that I owe Verizon $944.84. Here is the funny part, I lived in NY about 25 years ago and never had a phone because I moved out my mothers home to NJ and had a phone under my married name. If anyone finds a lawyer that is interested in suing these ### for doing something like this PLEASE post it.

You can report your case to the Bloomington police department public affairs office at [protected]. I also received such a notice, and I called the police department immediately. Apparently, there is someone who can assist you with your case.

hi, i have noticed that alot of people have the same problem as i do. afni says i owe a 191.00 charter cable bill from 2017 in a different city than i live in South Carolina and have turn it in to the 3 credit reporting agencies. i have never done business with charter cable, never lived in that city and they don't even have my correct name. it is for a Christine Smith, which i have never heard of? i have contacted them numerous times and gotton the run around. i have sent certified letter, contacted the BBB and the Attorney Generals office of Illinois and they refused to believe me and say that afni has verified the debt as mine? go figure?
what do i need to do next? i have always paid my bills on time and did have excellent credit now this mess! i have spent months trying to get some help with this. any advice appreciated...thanks

These people call us non-stop all day long, 10, maybe 12 times a day. They tell my husband he owes for service he had with a cellular carrier, Alltel. They kept telling him he owed for this service, several hundred dollars, but he never had an Alltel account except back when they had the unlimited service and you pay as you go with that, you don't pay, you don't have service, you would never get the chance to have a bill that high, or a bill at all cause you had to pay first if you wanted service. That is the ONLY account him or I ever had through that company. This Afni Company (if they are even a legitimate company) is constantly harassing us by phone, yet we have NEVER received any kind of correspondence by mail from them. they have tried to talk my husband into a "Sell your soul to the devil" offer on several occasions, and have attempted to obtain his banking information this way...you know, "if you pay us x amount right now we will forgive the entire debt" and when that didn't work, they want to throw threats out there of being sued, etc... This has to STOP. Last I knew it was illegal to harass people, any people, anywhere. Please help.