Here's the deal.  I started getting calls from NCO Financial (a notorious zombie debt collector) saying I owed in excess of $8000 which was written off by American Express in 1998.  This guy called two or three times a day every day.  I finally wrote to them and reported them to the Attorney General of Pennsylvania.  I told them to stop calling me or prove that I owed the debt.  The Attorney General office forwarded me two letters stating they would stop calling me and would validate the debt.  So, no calls for awhile (like 2 months)  Then, suddenly, this Barbara with American Express called me and I picked up the phone without noticing that caller ID said "Anonymous".  She asked me if the last four digits of my SSN were XXXX and I said they were not.  She apologized and we hung up.  She called back 5 mins later.  I didn't pick up the call, but she left a message asking me to call her at 888-585-3568.   She started calling every day me saying I HAD TO CALL HER BACK.  I am not calling her back. What has happened is this original collector decided to call randomly to find a person's name to bug about the debt.  When it wasn't mine, somehow my name got connected with the account.  It is illegal to sell an uncollectable debt to another collection agency, so all they can do supposedly is return it to the original creditor. If you owed it to them, you always will owe it and they can try to collect forever no matter what. However, after the Statute of Limitations has run out in your state, they can no longer report it to the credit bureau nor can they sue you for it. But, they can still call you because they are the "original creditor."  From other internet posts, I heard that this Barbara person poses as being from American Express (the original creditor) and pretends to offer you a low payment to "clear" your bad record (what bad record??? I have no bad record on my credit report) If you agree, then she's got you on tape as admitting you still owe the money, so the statute of limitations starts now all over again.  Then they can harrass you and sue you no matter how old the debt is. They can put it on your credit report with a fresh date.  They can give the account to collection agencies again. This is bad enough if you really are the debtor, but if you are a victim of a zombie debt collector who targets you for the money, it's even worse! So, just say "NO" to Barbara...or, better yet, don't call her back and watch your caller ID to prevent taking her calls accidently.  If you do connect inadvertently, just lay the phone down and don't talk to her.

Well, Bad Barbara went to the next level.  Now I suddenly get a credit card offer from American Express for an "Optima" card.  Along with it, they send me a bill for the supposed amount I owe.  They say if I "act immediately"  by paying the debt, they will send me this new card at the APR of Prime + 14.99% (big deal) for a fee of only $49.00.  It is signed by "M. Ghazavi" Director of Collections. The truth is, if I accept their card offer, they will add the whole amount they say I used to owe and thus start the Statue of Limitations over again.  No dice, Barbara.  Give up!

On to the next phase with Bad Barbara.  Now, she's sending me a bill saying I owe this money.  No kidding...it's not even my bill nor has it ever been.  I never even had an AMEX card, but she's convinced she can just send me this bill and now I will pay it.  She's offering to let me settle up for only 80% if I act quick.  Well, Babs...I just hope you're not holding your breath.  I'm so glad I have caller ID so I only get voice mails from her.  It's tempting to take the call and exchange a few choice words, but I will resist since it's just her way of trying to stick me with this bill.  I don't owe the money.  I never owed them any money and my credit report is pristine.  I get credit card offers all the time and I have credit watch for all three credit bureaus.  So, I'm not worried.  Barbara, bring it on!

Thanks for the full skinny. Bad Barbara is calling my elderly invalid mother now, scaring her. Unfortunately, if I return Bad Barbara's calls, I'm sure she'll continue bothering my mom, who needs all the serenity she can get in her final days.

If Bad Barbara is calling her, she could also get calls from American Express (804) 952-9979 or from WEST ASSET MGMT (402) 391-5285 as well.  So, my advice is get caller ID and make sure your mom looks at it before answering.  It's odd how I am getting calls now from all three of them.  But, I don't answer, so it doesn't matter to me.

Have you confirmed who they are?

Yes, I've kept records of all of them. They are bottom feeders as you can imagine.  There are many reports of them buying old, uncollectible debt, and erroneous data.  I had them stopped when this was coming from a well known zombie debt collector in Pennsylvania, but then these three picked it up again in Virginia and in Omaha.  It's laughable now, since we never pick up the phone if we don't recognize the number.  The good thing is that getting into this habit has saved us lots of other headaches with unwanted solicitations.  So, I can live with it.

We get calls daily between 8:30 and 9:00 am from an unknown name and number.  We do not answer calls that do not identify who the caller is - after all, every number belongs to someone that pays the telephone bill.  Anyway, a message is left to call back Francine, Lindsey or Mary Ann at American Express.  They leave a reference number.  If it is AE then part of the account number would be left or nothing at all.  Did a number reverse lookup and this number belongs to West Asset Management.  Francine said she was calling from Omaha, NE when I did pick up the phone.  Got a message left from # 804-952-9979 in Sandstone VA telling me to call 888-585-3568.  Everything references back to West Asset Management - insisting they are AE - We have reported them to the Attorney General and State Consumer Affairs office.

Just to let you all know, it appears we've vanquished Bad Barbara for once and all.  I am really surprised how easy it was.  I just took the call and said, "You must stop calling me.  Seriously, you can not call me anymore.  I do not owe you anything."  Bingo...no more calls!  Up to that day, we had no less than two calls a day from Bad Barbara.  Since then, none.  That was 5 months ago.  So, hang in there Bad Barbara victims.  You can win.

Got a call from Francine asking me to return the call.  When I call back they say they are from American Express.  Called American Express.  They do not have any phone numbers starting with 866 prefix.  This is a scam and possibly a phishing number to get account and personal information.  Do not give them the time of day.

Said they were American Express.  Said that an account had been recalled by them and that payments needed to be made.  Account was paid off to their collection agency.  Needless to say, a wonderful conversation.

This is West Asset Management. The (402) area code numbers give it away.

They bought the debt, they usually can't validate it.

Just a little info for you.  We are all not deadbeats.  Sometimes circumstances happen that you cannot control.  Apparently you know nothing about what goes on in the REAL world.  When you get in a financial jam, you just run to daddy.  We all are not rich like you.

I get annoyed with these clowns who post and are clearly collector scum saying that we're deadbeats. I too get calls all the time because the person theyre looking for used to live in the house that I bought. These scumbags don't listen, and don't care that they're wrong. However I am keeping recordings, old messages and a list of the number of calls. My attorney says I can sue, but if I can tolerate the annoyance to get more incidents it will help my case... So you Scumbags can keep calling, but it will cost you....

We get calls everyday from American Express.    We have never had any business with American Express EVER!   I have called them repeatedly and made several complaints with the FCC.    It makes no difference.   I will never have an American Express card.    If I called someone every day to harass them, I would be arrested.

It very well may be american express.  To find out if it is, anytime an account is in collections they have to send out a letter notifying you of who is collecting that debt.  If you get a letter from american express collections division then you know it probably is american express contacting you.  I work for American Express but not in the collection division.  I know we have 4 separate internal offices that do collect but the initial letter is sent out automatically within 5 days of the account listing with that specific office.  So be patient and put together the facts.  It may or may not be Amex.  But it looks like on this board people (on both sides of this issue) seem to be making a lot of assumptions and throwing around accusations.  I'm not goig to side with either one but there are ways to find out if it is or isn't american express.

The 404 fax number above is West Asset NOT AMEX. You have rights. Don't listen to these jerks who cut you down. No one knows why anyone got in over their head, but being a jerk isn't going to help them! Send West and Cease and Desist.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Savingan ... HardToKill.aspx

Bad Barbara is back.  She's still pretending to be an employee of American Express, but she's with West Asset Management, so don't be fooled.  The link above explains a lot.  One reason she's after us is our credit rating is excellent and I guess she thinks we will pay up.  This is not my debt.  I don't know how they decided it was, but it never was.  I am not afraid of Bad Barbara.  Nor should you be.

Oh, yes, once I did get a "bill" from them saying "Why not use your stimulus check to pay your debts.  We know you've struggled with debts in the past and now you can get back on the right path."  How amusing.  I've made over six figures for the last 12 years.  I've paid all my bills and never "struggled" at all.  This is why I am such a target for them.  They think I have the resources and if they harass me enough, I will.  I've never had an American Express card.  But, they have it in their minds that I am this person they are looking for who owes this old debt.  First it was placed with NCO Financial and that collections twerp admitted it had been discharged in 1998 by American Express. All I had to do is write the Pennsylvania Attorney General and since NCO could not substantiate the debt, they had to "cease and desist".  Then it got sold to West Asset Management who are now posing as American Express.  Perhaps I am playing with Barbara...I could just as easily request the Nebraska Attorney General to conduct the same demand for debt substantiation, but it is educational to see the lengths to which they will go.

Well, Zombie...I love your posts, but, you have to admit you misspelled "grammar" honey!  No matter...you are one above the rest.

Oh, one more thing...if you were really any type of real professional, you probably would have had to learn better grammer than you used in your post.  You don't impress me.  Perhaps you are, indeed, a collector.

You, LOL, are a twit.  Do you work for these people?  Do you have anything useful to offer?  You know why debt collectors work in the field they do?  Because they are debtors themselves and they know debtors and how they think.  They can't get a job doing something else because all they know is how to intimidate people and try to leverage the average person's ignorance about the law.  If I owe a debt, I pay it.  If I do not, I will not succumb to such tactics.  If someone owes me a debt, I don't sell it for pennies on the dollar to some bottom feeding debt collector agency.  I use the law to collect by lawsuit.  That's what AMERICANS do, nitwit.

You are exactly right.  They are NOT American Express, even though they say they are.  That's because even if it is time barred debt, the original business to whom you owe the debt has the right to pursue you for payment but they cannot resort to suing you since the "time" has run out for that.  They can call you every day for a lifetime, but they cannot threaten to sue you or to report you to the credit bureau.  So, by saying they are from American Express (when they are not) they lead you to believe they can "help" you pay an old debt.  They don't care if it is not and never was your debt.  Their victims are people who do not know their rights.  Anyone with a computer can learn about their rights, so your best defense is to research them and to not respond to Bad Barbara, or Nice Mary.  They have even sent me phony "statements" for the phantom amount.  They have offered first a 20% discount if I would pay the balance.  Then 30% and finally 35%.  They offered me an Optima Card (to which they would add the old debt, I'm sure) But, in the end, by ignoring them totally, I think they've given up.  I haven't heard from Bad Barbara for awhile now and hopefully she has moved on to someone who is less informed.  I hope you who read this are now better informed and will do what you have to do to learn your rights.

You can write to Am Exp and request they stop contacting you by phone, but this is easier said than done.  Even though they acknowledged my request, I was basically told they will continue to contact me until they collect the amount I owed.  
They even suggested I send them my income tax refund.
If my income tax refund was anything to speak of, I'd pay my mortgage, put food on the table, keep my utilities on, pay my health insurance, and pay my car insurance because if I can't get to work - none of the listed above will get anything either.
For a business entity to suggest using your income tax refund is a little out there - I don't care who you are.

I am intrigued by how people who actually don't work for American Express are allowed to say this is "_ _ _ _ _ _ _" from American Express;
all the while they are calling from West Asset Management, and from what I've read on the internet, they have a very poor business reputation.

Barbara, Francine, Hoopie Doopie, whatever - say who you are calling from and don't try to confuse an informed consumer.

This number belongs to AmEx. When I called them back, it went to Barbara Pentecost in the Cease and Desist Division of AmEx Collections.  I made sure she worked for AmEx and not one of the $#!+heel collections scum.  If you want them to stop calling, fax them a letter at 402-384-5065 and tell them to contact you only in writing.  Then, if they call you back, they are in violation of federal (and likely state) debt collection laws.

Just got a call from "Francine" as well.......I bet they are ALL named "Francine" at that location.......anyway......I don't trust them.

Now, the caller is "Francine".  Caller ID is still anonymous.  However, I checked the other numbers when I got messages and it's a call from West Revenue Management out of Omaha.  I know they are debt collectors and that they make money buying time-barred debt from companies like American Express for pennies on the dollar.  Thus any tactics they can use will net them a decent return.  I have a FICO score in the 800s, so believe me, this is not my debt.  They have a tagged me for it because they think I'm an easy mark.  I'm not.  (are you paying attention "Lucky?")

Lucky---you twit...read up on Time Barred Debt and learn something before you post.  First of all, I do not owe them anything, second of all, one of the callers told me it had been discharged in 1998.  If you want to know more (I doubt you do) Google "Zombie Debt" and find out how these scumbags operate.  Oh...maybe you ARE a debt collector, thus your response is self serving if you can scare people into "getting out their checkbooks" to pay for something they don't owe.  If I owed it, wouldn't it have been on my credit report in the last 10 years?  DUH

Report this number to the FTC via the Do NOt Call list.

Its a collection agency not AMEX.