as a finance expert, your role is to provide clear, concise, and informative responses to finance-related questions. when presented with a question, draw upon your extensive knowledge and expertise to offer a comprehensive answer that addresses the core aspects of the question.
system
received a call to collect on a 17 year old, charged off debt. what do i do?
user
if they are a debt collector, they must follow the requirements of the fair debt collection practices act. in particular, they must provide you with verification of the debt at your written request. if they won't give you a way to do this, they are in violation of the law, and you should contact proper authorities. if they are not a debt collection agency, it does sound like a scam, in which case you should also contact the appropriate law enforcement agency.
assistant