I just got a letter in the mail from the Law Offices of David J. Fuller, which says they're representing a debt buyer and threatens to sue me over an old credit card debt from about 4 years ago. The letter looks official, but I've never heard of this firm before.
I checked online and found they have an address in North Andover, MA, but the letterhead says a different location in California. That threw me off. Is this a real law firm or just a debt collector pretending to be lawyers?
I honestly don't even recognize the debt amount they're claiming. It's way higher than I remember, so I'm guessing they added a bunch of fees and interest. I want to ask them to validate the debt, but I'm scared that if I respond, they'll take that as acknowledgment and move forward with a lawsuit.
I'm also worried about the statute of limitations. I live in a different state than where the letter came from, so I'm not even sure which state's laws apply here. Does anyone know if they actually sue people or just send these letters to scare them into paying?
I'm barely getting by right now and can't afford to have my wages garnished. I've been reading about exemptions, but I don't think any apply to me since I work a regular job. Has anyone successfully negotiated a settlement with them? Or did you just ignore it and hope it went away?
I really don't want to end up in court over this. Any honest advice from someone who's been through this with this specific firm would mean a lot to me right now.
Thanks in advance for any help.