has anyone ever paid them if so how were you told to pay, they told me they do not take personal checks only a green dot money i can get at any walmart store then call with the number on the card ,,,thats when i hung up
please do not give them any info more then they already have very scary file a complaint with the FBI ,and the FTC and the BBB,please take the time and file it is our only true way to fight these jerks....

Consumers across the country report that they're getting telephone calls from people trying to collect on loans the consumers never received or on loans they did receive but for amounts they do not owe. Others are receiving calls from people seeking to recover on loans consumers received but where the creditors never authorized the callers to collect for them. So what's the story?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, is warning consumers to be on the alert for scam artists posing as debt collectors. It may be hard to tell the difference between a legitimate debt collector and a fake one. Sometimes a fake collector may even have some of your personal information, like a bank account number. A caller may be a fake debt collector if he:

is seeking payment on a debt for a loan you do not recognize;
refuses to give you a mailing address or phone number;
asks you for personal financial or sensitive information; or
exerts high pressure to try to scare you into paying, such as threatening to have you arrested or to report you to a law enforcement agency.

If you think that a caller may be a fake debt collector:

Ask the caller for his name, company, street address, and telephone number. Tell the caller that you refuse to discuss any debt until you get a written "validation notice." The notice must include the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor you owe, and your rights under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

If a caller refuses to give you all of this information, do no
t pay! Paying a fake debt collector will not always make them go away. They may make up another debt to try to get more money from you.

Stop speaking with the caller. If you have the caller's address, send a letter demanding that the caller stop contacting you, and keep a copy for your files. By law, real debt collectors must stop calling you if you ask them to in writing.

Do not give the caller personal financial or other sensitive information. Never give out or confirm personal financial or other sensitive information like your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number unless you know whom you're dealing with. Scam artists, like fake debt collectors, can use your information to commit identity theft ? charging your existing credit cards, opening new credit card, checking, or savings accounts, writing fraudulent checks, or taking out loans in your name.

Contact your creditor. If the debt is legitimate ? but you think the collector may not be ? contact your creditor about the calls. Share the information you have about the suspicious calls and find out who, if anyone, the creditor has authorized to collect the debt.

Report the call. Contact the FTC and your state Attorney General's office with information about suspicious callers. Many states have their own debt collection laws in addition to the federal FDCPA. Your Attorney General's office can help you determine your rights under your state's law.

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt076.shtm

I received a call on my cell phone from a very "professional" sounding woman who stated "I am Anne and I have legal documents received from McHenry County to serve you at your place of employment, in order to avoid service and avoid appearing in McHenry County and avoid a civil judgement I am to call 1-888-858-8016 x107"  This sounds like a very official call. I have received nothing by mail. Typically a collector, if they have a legitimate debt, would not warn you that they are going to serve you. Nor would they threaten, they would simply send a letter stating what you owe and give you an opportunity to pay. Wow - scary - it is people like this that make the world worse - not better.

what a bunch of pricks  threatening me and calling non stop because someone listed me as a contact. (thanks buddy). does any one know where there main office is??? im ready to take a road trip so we can "talkj" face to face me and these little douce bags.

They've been leaving messages on cell and work.  One lady was even laughing on my voice mail - very unprofessional and ghetto.

They say I have something against me and they will forward it to the jurusdiction of Macomb County, (the county I live in,)  which doesn't make sense.  They are rude and annoying.

You can also file a complaint with the FBI and their Internet Crimes division at www.ic3.gov. I filed with them and within about 3 days all calls stopped from the ABF and another company who was using the same tactics.

AFB & Associates

AFB & Associates is a bogus debt collector that calls saying you owe for an online payday loan you supposedly took out and never repaid.  Mr. Bob Bradford from AFB called and left a voice mail on my sister in law's phone saying that it was a grave legal matter and that they needed to reach me as soon as possible.

I called the number and Eric Santorini responded.  He said he couldn't find me in their computer system.  I told him from the get go that I was having this call recorded (yes I fibbed) and that I was making him aware of that. I asked why he was calling others leaving private information on their voice mails for legal proceedings etc that was a violation of the right to privacy act.  When I asked for the address of the place he rattled off the P.O. Box in Glendale NY.  When I asked for the physical address he asked what I was talking about.  I asked him for the address of the office he was sitting in right at the moment.  He asked what I was talking about.  When I said "what you don't know the address of the place you are sitting in at this moment" he got flustered and put me on hold.  Next thing I know I was speaking to Andrew Turner.  As supposed supervisor.  Mr. Turner again checked my name and found nothing in the computer system however, he went on to ask who the references were that were contacted.  When I gave him my sister in laws name he said it was her that owed the money.  Then proceeded to tell me when they tried to reach her and other personal information that by law they are not allowed to release to a third party.   I confirmed with Mr. Turner three times that he had no record of me owing any monies to AFB or any of their affiliates and he advised I did not.

Meantime my sister in law called.  She was given a different story and there was supposedly a court case pending against me and gave her a court  number.  They are not allowed to release this information.  They also started asking her personal questions like was I a criminal.  Or was I an upstanding person. And additional questions that are not legal.  She told them not to call her again to which she was told they could and would call her everyday if they wanted to.

If they say you owe them money do not pay them.  Request a copy of the proof you received the monies or leave you alone.

Stop calls

Call me today and they adv charges against me. Being filed to call them. One call yesterday different number exactly sake message. What so I do

Want to know if the call is real? Very simple. Ask for them to send you proof of debt by mail. Don't give them your address, a real debt collector already has it. If they say they won't, yell at you, or say they'll email it - it's a scam.

I received a call today saying the same thing.. If I do not contact them I will be sued., etc.. How do you know if its real or not.. Smh at the web.. third parties are stealing our information.

I had this number call my work and they say it's AFB associates. That they have an urgent message and need me to call them to settle the matter.How do you know it is a scam? I have alot of people calling saying i owe them money. what to do?

Getting same.  Told them to send something in writing and when they emailed, sent validation letter.  Needless to say, nothing received back yet.

Scum bag collections. They go by AFB. Call and treaten to sue you over nonsense debt. Ohh big scary debt collector.