Is this a scam? (Legal dopers' advice appreciated.)

First, there are two kinds of letter one can send under the FDCPA. One is called a validation letter. Debt Validation Letter — Request Collection Agency to Validate Debt, the other is called a cease and desist letter. Sample Cease and Desist Letter — Stop Debt Collector Harassment But those letters only have legal force if the FDCPA applies to the situation. They don’t apply, for example, to business debts.

15 U.S. Code § 1692a - Definitions | U.S. Code | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute

They work just fine for the the most common sort of debt collectors and debts, though.