Get a debt letter from USB Recovery? It’s likely a scam, Sheriff’s Office says

A letter received recently by a Sonora resident is part of a scam, the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office is warning. The letter from the “USB Recovery Department,” and with a Phoenix, Ariz., postmark, claimed the woman owed a debt of $5,147.27.

The document contained her correct date of birth and Social Security number and was from the “Office of Registrar, General Accounting Office, Records Division.” She knew she did not owe this debt, did an internet search and found it appeared to be a scam, the Sheriff’s Office said.

In a user forum on the site Creditboards.com, a member posted in mid-December a report of the same scam. “The thing that ticks me off is they have my SSN, and now I feel I need to take some kind of action. There is no address for these guys that I can find,” the member posted.

The letter received in Sonora was printed on linen-style paper and looked like a court-filed document, although a court stamp was not present, the Sheriff’s Office said. When a deputy called the phone number listed on the letter, it went to a voicemail and asked that a case number be left and the call would be returned.

“If you are faced with a situation as this and know you do not have any outstanding debts, do some research,” the Sheriff’s Office warns in a Facebook post regarding the scam. “Do not give out any personal or account information. Contact a credit reporting bureau and lock your credit in case attempts are made to open any credit in your name. It is also recommended that you contact your bank to notify them of the situation and check on any possible fraudulent activity. If fraud has occurred, contact your law enforcement agency for a report and documentation.”

This story was originally published February 6, 2017 at 7:12 AM with the headline "Get a debt letter from USB Recovery? It’s likely a scam, Sheriff’s Office says."