Fraudulent Delinquent Balance Payment Requests via Mail (PLEASE HELP)

[zworld707]

Hi-

I am writing to you on behalf of my mother whose English is rather rough. She has been receiving this delinquent balance notice from time to time (once every few years) in the mail with a verizon logo printed on it. The amount varies from 100-300, and the mail usually talks about a remaining balance on a verizon account associated with her name. Recently, in March, June, and July of this year, there have been three collection notices from three different debt collection companies that list a delinquent balance associated with 'my mother's verizon account'. These mails have been going to my mother's distant family-in-law's address whose address has never been used by my mother in anything. 

There is a Verizon account number listed. According to the second mail notice received in June, this account seems to have been sold to Jefferson Capital Systems LLC; Jefferson Capital Systems LLC is listed as the current creditor while the Cellco Partnership seems to have been the original creditor. In July, another company sends a similar collection letter: first national collection bureau, inc.

The truly scary thing is that my mom has NEVER had any account from Verizon. In fact, she has never lived in the US for the past 13-14 years. A few times she was in the States to attend my school events, she used a roaming service from her out-of-US, local phone company. I am the only one from my family who is studying in the US, and I am no longer using Verizon as of 2013. And yet, my mother is being harassed once every few years for this debt from Verizon account that she never had. In 2016, all of a sudden, there have been three of these mailed to (and thus harassing) our distant family-in-laws living in the States as well.

I understand that this may be an issue I need to settle with the collection companies. But is there a way for me to get in touch with Verizon representatives to check whether this 'debt-ridden' Verizon account is actually my mother's? I strongly doubt it. What should I do? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

[LawrenceC]

Hi zworld707,

Can you determine if this is a Verizon Residential service bill or a Verizon Wireless bill?