I received a letter from Arrow Financial Services saying I owed them approximately $9,650 for a debt they acquired from Mellon Bank. Since I'd never heard of Mellon Bank, I called to ask what I owed the money for/to. They demanded I provide them (over the phone) my date of birth, Social Security #, etc., before they'd release any information to me. I declined — they hung up on me.
I then wrote them a letter stating the following:
1. I dispute this debt in its entirety.
2. I hereby demand that you clearly state to me the full amount of the debt, the date the debt was incurred, the date of last activity on the account that has this debt, the name of the original creditor, a copy of any judgment regarding this debt, and proof that you are lawfully authorized to collect said debt in the State of Oregon.
3. You are required to report this dispute to the original debtor as well as ALL credit reporting agencies.
4. I am sending this response by certified mail and standard mail to ensure my rights are protected.
5. I am also sending a copy of your letter and my response to it to the Oregon State Attorney General, since I believe your attempt to collect money from me is a scam.
I didn't expect the Oregon Attorney General's office to actually do anything on my behalf, but apparently they (the State Civil Enforcement Division of the Department of Justice) wrote a letter to Arrow Financial Services. Arrow's response?"Your letter... Was recently brought to my attention. Arrow Financial Services LLC has cancelled and closed this account."
So it WAS an attempt to rip me off (scam?), and I WON!!!
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