855-419-7365 Keeps Calling? Here's How to Make AT&T Stop

Your phone rings. Again. The number 855-419-7365 flashes on the screen. You don't answer. Twenty minutes later, it rings again. This isn't random telemarketing—it's AT&T Collections, and they want money you may or may not owe.

If you're getting daily calls from this number, you're not powerless. Federal law gives you specific tools to stop the harassment, verify what you actually owe, and force AT&T to back off. Here's how to use them.

Who's Calling From 855-419-7365?

The 855-419-7365 number belongs to AT&T's internal collections department. Unlike third-party debt buyers, this isn't some agency that bought your old phone bill for pennies. AT&T runs its own collections operation to recover unpaid balances on:

• Wireless phone service
• U-verse or DirecTV accounts
• Internet and landline bills
• Equipment you allegedly didn't return

AT&T Inc. Is headquartered at 208 S. Akard St., Dallas, TX 75202. Their general customer service line is 800-288-2020, but good luck getting collections questions answered there. The company has a 1.09-star rating on the Better Business Bureau from nearly 4,000 reviews,most of them from people drowning in collection calls just like yours.

Why AT&T Collections Is Calling You

You're getting these calls because AT&T says you owe them money. That could mean:

You canceled service but still owe a final bill. This happens all the time. You switched carriers, forgot about the last billing cycle, and now AT&T is treating it like you skipped town.

You returned equipment, but AT&T says you didn't. This is the most common complaint. You mailed back the modem or cable box with a prepaid label. You have tracking. AT&T claims they never got it and charged you $200 for the hardware.

You disputed a charge and lost. Maybe you fought an early termination fee or a data overage. AT&T didn't budge, and now the balance is in collections.

The debt isn't even yours. Medical billing errors happen. So do telecom billing errors. Someone fat-fingered your Social Security number, and now you're being dunned for a stranger's phone bill.

Whatever the reason, AT&T doesn't care about your story until you force them to prove the debt is real.

What AT&T Collections Cannot Legally Do

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) puts strict limits on how companies like AT&T can collect. They cannot:

• Call you more than seven times in seven days about the same debt
• Call before 8 a.m. Or after 9 p.m. In your time zone
• Call you at work if you tell them your employer prohibits personal calls
• Threaten you with arrest, wage garnishment, or lawsuits they don't intend to file
• Harass, insult, or use profane language
• Report inaccurate information to credit bureaus
• Refuse to verify the debt when you request validation

If AT&T violates any of these rules, you can sue them for up to $1,000 plus attorney fees. That's not hyperbole. People win these cases regularly.

Step 1: Send a Debt Validation Letter

This is your most powerful move. Within 30 days of AT&T's first contact, send them a debt validation letter. This is a formal written request demanding they prove:

• The exact amount you owe
• The original account number
• Proof that you actually agreed to the charges
• Documentation that they have the legal right to collect

Once AT&T receives your validation letter, they must stop all collection activity until they provide the proof. Most collection departments hate this because they don't have the documentation. They're working off a spreadsheet that says "John Smith owes $300." They don't have your signed contract, your returned equipment tracking numbers, or even a detailed billing history.

Send your letter via certified mail with return receipt requested. Keep a copy. If AT&T keeps calling without validating the debt, you now have evidence of an FDCPA violation.

If you've already been sued by AT&T or another creditor, use our free bankruptcy screener to see if filing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 could wipe out the debt and stop the lawsuit immediately.

Step 2: Tell AT&T to Stop Calling (In Writing)

You have the right to tell any debt collector to stop contacting you. Send AT&T a cease-and-desist letter that says, in plain language:

"I am exercising my right under 15 U.S.C. § 1692c(c) to request that you cease all telephone communication regarding this account. All future communication must be in writing."

Mail it certified. Once they receive it, AT&T can only contact you to:

• Confirm they received your letter and will stop calling
• Notify you they're taking a specific action, like filing a lawsuit

They cannot call to "check in" or "offer a payment plan." If they do, that's another FDCPA violation.

Step 3: Check Your Credit Report

Go to AnnualCreditReport.com and pull your free reports from all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion). Look for the AT&T collection account. Check:

• The amount listed
• The date of first delinquency
• Whether it's marked as disputed

If the information is wrong,wrong amount, wrong date, wrong account number,dispute it directly with the credit bureaus. They have 30 days to investigate. If they can't verify the debt, they must remove it from your report.

If the debt is accurate, it will stay on your credit report for seven years from the date of first delinquency. Paying it won't remove it, but it will change the status from "unpaid collection" to "paid collection," which helps your score slightly.

What Happens If You Ignore AT&T Collections?

AT&T will eventually escalate. That could mean:

They sell the debt to a third-party collector. Then you'll start getting calls from a different company, and the whole validation process starts over.

They sue you. AT&T rarely sues over small balances (under $500), but for larger debts,especially equipment charges over $1,000,they will file a collections lawsuit. If you don't respond, they'll get a default judgment, and then they can garnish your wages or freeze your bank account.

They report the debt to credit bureaus. A collection account can drop your credit score 50 to 100 points. That makes it harder to rent an apartment, get a car loan, or even get approved for a new phone plan.

Ignoring the calls doesn't make the debt go away. But it does give AT&T more leverage.

Should You Just Pay AT&T?

Maybe. But not before you negotiate. AT&T Collections has the authority to settle for less than the full balance, especially if the debt is old or disputed. Call them (or respond to their letters) and offer:

• 50% of the balance if you pay in full within 10 days
• 70% if you set up a six-month payment plan

Get any settlement agreement in writing before you send money. The letter should state the exact amount you're paying, the account number, and that AT&T agrees to mark the debt "paid in full" and report it as such to credit bureaus.

If AT&T refuses to negotiate and you can't afford the full balance, you might need to explore bankruptcy. Chapter 7 wipes out unsecured debts like phone bills entirely. Chapter 13 lets you repay a portion over three to five years. Learn more about filing bankruptcy and whether it makes sense for your situation.

Real Complaint: AT&T Collections and the Hardware Scam

Here's a typical scenario from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau complaint database:

"ATT sent me to collections for non-returned wifi hardware. I returned the hardware with tracking, using their prepaid label. They received it on July 10, 2023. I have email screenshots and tracking proof. The collection was removed. Now they sent me to collections again for the same thing. I spoke with ATT collections tonight. They don't care that I have proof."

This happens constantly. AT&T's equipment tracking system is a mess. You return the modem. Their warehouse logs it. But their billing system never gets updated. Six months later, you're being dunned for $250 in equipment charges.

If this is your situation, gather your evidence,tracking numbers, emails, screenshots,and attach it to your debt validation letter. Demand AT&T provide proof you didn't return the equipment. If they can't, they must drop the collection.

What to Do If AT&T Has Already Sued You

If you've been served with a collections lawsuit, you have 20 to 30 days (depending on your state) to file an answer with the court. Do not skip this step. If you don't respond, AT&T wins by default, and they can start garnishing your paycheck.

Your answer should:

• Admit or deny each allegation in AT&T's complaint
• Raise any defenses (e.g., the debt is beyond the statute of limitations, AT&T can't prove you owe it)
• File any counterclaims if AT&T violated the FDCPA

If you're overwhelmed, bankruptcy might be the smarter play. Filing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 triggers an automatic stay,a court order that immediately stops all collection lawsuits, wage garnishments, and bank levies. AT&T has to back off while your bankruptcy case proceeds.

Use our free bankruptcy screener to see if you qualify and how much debt you could eliminate.

The Bottom Line

You don't have to live with 855-419-7365 calling you every day. Send a debt validation letter, demand they prove what you owe, and force AT&T to follow federal law. If they can't validate the debt, they have to stop collecting. If they keep harassing you, they've violated the FDCPA,and you can sue them. You have more power here than AT&T wants you to know.