Is Anthony Wayne Credit Adjusters Hurting Your Credit?

Anthony Wayne Credit Adjusters has collected debt in Fort Wayne, Indiana since 1947. Despite being tiny, with under $600,000 in annual revenue, their documented complaints are serious.

A consumer forum complaint describes AWCA sending judgment letters to someone seven states away who shared only a first name, last name, and date of birth with the actual debtor. A BBB review describes AWCA attempting to garnish wages from a part-time job held by a consumer they had known was on disability since 2009.

This guide covers who AWCA is, their documented patterns, and how to respond.

Who Is Anthony Wayne Credit Adjusters?

Anthony Wayne Credit Adjusters, Inc. (AWCA) is a family-owned third-party debt collection agency. AWCA collects across healthcare, retail, financial services, and general consumer accounts and does file lawsuits on valid in-statute debts. Indiana allows 20 days to respond to a civil complaint.

The Wrong-Person Skip Tracing Case

A consumer living seven states away from Indiana received two AWCA judgment letters. When the first arrived, they contacted AWCA, who confirmed the social security number did not match and said the matter was resolved.

A second letter arrived weeks later for the same judgment. AWCA sent it despite having confirmed the wrong person three months prior.

If AWCA is contacting you and you have no Indiana connection, send a written dispute by certified mail stating your social security number does not match the debtor they seek. File a CFPB complaint if contact continues.

Wage Garnishment Against a Disability Recipient

A documented BBB review describes AWCA attempting to garnish wages from a consumer’s part-time job. The consumer had been on disability since 2009. AWCA was aware of this fact. Despite that awareness, AWCA pursued the garnishment of the consumer’s part-time income.

Federal law protects Social Security disability benefits from garnishment for most consumer debts. Attempting to garnish a disability recipient’s only income source beyond a protected benefit may violate both the FDCPA and federal exemption laws. If AWCA is pursuing garnishment and you receive disability income, consult an Indiana attorney immediately about the exemptions that apply to your specific income sources.

Collection Letters Without Required FDCPA Disclosures

A documented consumer complaint describes receiving an AWCA letter that was one paragraph long. It stated an amount of approximately $3,000 was owed and gave the consumer 10 days to make payment arrangements or face court action. The letter contained no information about the underlying debt, no right to dispute within 30 days, and no validation information.

Under the FDCPA, every initial collection communication must include the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor, and the consumer’s right to dispute within 30 days. A one-paragraph letter with a 10-day ultimatum that omits all of these disclosures is a specific FDCPA violation.

If you receive an AWCA letter that does not include dispute rights or creditor identification, preserve that letter and file a CFPB complaint citing the specific missing disclosures.

What AWCA Cannot Do Under Federal Law

The FDCPA applies to Anthony Wayne Credit Adjusters. Under federal law, they cannot:

• Continue contacting a consumer confirmed to be the wrong person: A documented consumer forum complaint.
• Send collection letters without required dispute rights and creditor identification: A documented consumer complaint.
• Pursue garnishment of protected disability income: A documented BBB review.
• Threaten court action with a 10-day deadline without providing required FDCPA disclosures: A documented consumer complaint.
• Call outside permitted hours: Contact is only allowed between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in your time zone.

File complaints at consumerfinance.gov and with the Indiana Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.

Verify Before Paying Anything

Send a written debt validation request by certified mail within 30 days of first contact. Ask for the original creditor, the account number, the nature of the underlying debt, and the original date of delinquency.

If you have no Indiana connection and received an AWCA letter, include your social security number in a written dispute and state clearly that you have never lived or worked in Indiana. Send by certified mail with return receipt.

How to Check Your Credit Report for AWCA Errors

Pull your credit reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com. Is the original creditor identified? Is the debt one you actually incurred? If you have no Indiana connection, investigate immediately for a wrong-person skip tracing error.

Any inaccuracy is grounds for a dispute with each credit bureau.

How Long Can AWCA Legally Pursue the Debt?

Indiana has a 6-year statute of limitations on most consumer debts. The relevant state is typically where you currently reside. If AWCA claims a court judgment already exists, verify the judgment independently through the Indiana court system before engaging further.

Your Options for Resolving an AWCA Account

Once you have verified the debt:

• Send a written wrong-person dispute immediately: If you have no Indiana connection, confirm your SSN does not match and send by certified mail.
• Consult an attorney if garnishment is threatened: Federal and state exemptions may protect your income.
• Preserve any letter missing required FDCPA disclosures: A one-paragraph ultimatum without dispute rights is documentable evidence of an FDCPA violation.
• Respond to any lawsuit within Indiana’s 20-day window: AWCA does pursue judgments.

How to Contact Anthony Wayne Credit Adjusters

Handle all communication in writing:

• Address: Anthony Wayne Credit Adjusters, Inc., 809 S. Calhoun Street, Suite 100, Fort Wayne, IN 46802
• Phone: (260) 423-9574

Bottom Line

Anthony Wayne Credit Adjusters is a small family-owned Fort Wayne agency founded in 1947. Their most serious documented patterns are pursuing wrong-person accounts after confirming the error and attempting to garnish a disability recipient’s wages.

Send a written dispute immediately if you have no Indiana connection. Preserve any AWCA letter that lacks required FDCPA disclosures. Respond to any lawsuit within Indiana’s 20-day deadline.