Today I uncovered a very interesting article from consumeraffairs.com which sheds some light on the Luebke Baker and Associates mystery. Here are some interesting bits from the article:

In 2003, the FTC essentially closed the door on Consolidated Media Services (CMS) and the network of companies under the Cross Media Marketing name after they settled for $350,000 and agreed to end the myriad of alleged deceptive sales tactics they were accused of.

Although CMS appears to have dissolved, consumers write that a collection agency -- Luebke Baker and Associates of Peoria, Ill. -- has been trying to collect on CMS debts, some as old as 11 years.

Interesting -- so a company is shut down because of deceptive sales practices, yet their debt garnered from those deceptive sales is ripe for the taking?

Don Cummings, Luebke Baker's senior legal administrator, said the debts are real.

"I don't think it's a matter of people saying 'I never heard of it.' I think it's a matter of whether they forgot," Cummings said. "Three years ago, five years ago they ordered these magazines."

ConsumerAffairs.com has received 51 specific complaints regarding Luebke Baker and close to 400 CMS complaints, many of which include Luebke Baker. The Better Business Bureau has received 84 complaints in the past 36 months, of which most have been resolved, according to the BBB's website. The Illinois Attorney General office has received 48 complaints since 2000, of which most have been resolved through the company dropping the charges, said spokeswoman Natalie Bauer.

A bit of peace of mind for those of you who are worried about your credit scores:

If a consumer challenges the debt and refuses to pay, the debt goes back to the client. Luebke Baker then asks the client to provide a recording or documented proof of the debt, Cummings said.

Luebke Baker does not report any magazine-related debts to credit bureaus, Cummings said.

So they aren't going to report you to the credit bureau; I wonder why? Could it possibly be that Luebke Baker and Associates has very little information, yet is trying to scare consumers into paying an unverified debt?