I owed a bill to the hospital for my son. I contacted their billing office and set up a payment plan. I paid the first payment in that amount. Every payment after that was more than the set amount. After 3 month I received XXXX messages identifying the caller as the hospital, telling me to call about my account. There were " concerns ''. When I called the number, I was told my account was in arrears. I asked how that could be since I had set up a payment plan and I had paid over the amount since it had been set up. The person I spoke with said they had no record of that payment plan, but no matter ... they could set one up now. They set it up for {$42.00} a month. I continued to pay {$100.00} a month until the final payment of {$77.00}. I then received another bill for {$100.00}. I knew I was paid in full. I received another bill. Worried that I was mistaken and trusting ( stupidly ) I would be reimbursed if I overpaid I paid another {$100.00}. Two days after it cleared I was turned over to collections. I 've called and argued. They say they never received checks in XXXX, XXXX or XXXX and they want cancelled checks. I printed them, but with my bank account on the check, wanted to walk into a physical office rather than fax, so I went to call the number again and noticed that when my bills changed XXXX from XXXX to XXXX ... after the phone calls ... XXXX the phone numbers were different. I called the local one on the old bill and got the very polite XXXX billing office. She said my account was paid in full and I was an excellent payer! No, I was n't turned over to collections! Why would I think that? I consistently paid more than we agreed? This woman was as nice as the other XXXX were rude. 
She also informed me that she had no knowledge of this other number and NO ONE did their billing but her office!!! 
I have been scammed. She gave me her name and number at XXXX XXXX XXXX Hospital. 
I called the other number back and confronted them. I accused the person who answered ... it is never the same person ... of scamming me and he claimed they represented different hospitals and I informed him XXXX XXXX just told me no one represents them. He said that 's not true and he would call her. He did scramble on the phone for awhile when I asked for a physical address of his business. 
It is XXXX XXXX, CA XXXX ( or so he says ) The number I 've called is XXXX