People do not realize that we have rights to protect us. Yes, we may have owed the original creditor, but they have insurance in case of losses and then can also charge it off after 180 days and get tax credits and have insurance to cover losses. They legally can sell it to a junk debt buyer for pennies. These are companies that buy them on a website and have no paper trail. Usually small home based businesses with an online registered agent. They mail out what is actually a novation “offer” tricking us into thinking we now owe them. Our “silence” puts us into agreement/contract (usually noted in small print-failure to respond verbiage). Then the system allows them to legally injure our credit by putting it on our credit report.