Sketchy Photocopied Papers

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About an hour ago, someone rang the bell and my husband answered. The guy asks if I live here and my husband said yes. The guy tells my husband I’m being served and handed my husband a packet of photocopied papers of a case that was filed by Synchrony bank from a Lowe’s credit card. It was dated Aug 9th, filed Aug 25th and handed to my husband this afternoon. All photocopies, nothing original or with a raised seal or anything. Is this real?
What state are you located in, Barbara? The process of serving papers can vary by location.
NYS / NYC
In New York, service of process can be done through a third party. Was there a summons or complaint included in the papers?
What exactly would that look like?
A summons or complaint typically includes:

- Your name and the plaintiff's name
- Case number
- Court's name
- Instructions on how to respond
yes, that’s the first page of all the photocopied papers. Honestly, it looks very sketchy….. photocopies of the dates etc It says I have to appear in the court, but no specific date or time
What is the name of the court mentioned in the papers?
Civil court of the city of New York Richmond County with an address and it says I have to file my answer there (I suppose)
What is the case number mentioned in the papers? The Civil Court of the City of New York, Richmond County's contact number is (*) *-*. You can verify your case there.
ok, so I don’t see anything that says a case number…. Again, it’s a photocopied paper.
Without a case number, it's difficult to verify the legitimacy of the papers. You should contact the court directly to inquire about any cases filed against you.
would there be a letter or series of letters to look for? There is a stamped series of numbers off to the side. Also a bar code thing at the bottom next to the list of lawyers
The series of numbers could be the case number. It's best to contact the Civil Court of the City of New York, Richmond County at (*) *-* to verify.
ok. Thanks
You're welcome, Barbara. If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask.