Debt Collection Abuse: How to Fight Back

Federal law protect consumers from abusive, oppressive, harassing, fraudulent and unfair debt collection. Debt Collection Abuse is any action taken by a collector that violates your rights. Unfortunately, abuse by debt collectors is common and on the rise. For each of the last three years, beginning in 2005, the FTC reports that it received more complaints against debt collectors than any other type of complaint. For each of those years, consumer complaints about debt collectors comprised about 20% of the total complaints received. In 2007, the FTC received about 71,000 complaints about debt collectors.

If you are contacted by a debt collector, whether you owe the debt or not, you should know your rights. Remember, collectors are violating the law when they abuse your rights, even if you owe the debt.

Debt collectors violate the law when they --

• Make harassing telephone calls
• Try to collect debt you do not owe
• Lie to you about what they can do to you
• Make empty threats to try to scare or intimidate you into paying a debt
• Talk to other people like friends, family or your boss about the debt without your permission
• Call you repeatedly or at odd hours
• Threatens you with violence or criminal action
• Continue calling you after you have requested in writing that the calls stop
• Sue you for debt you do not owe or is too old to be collected
• Take other actions prohibited by law

If a collector violates the law, you have the right to sue to make them stop and to collect damages. The law also requires the violator to pay your attorneys fee. Read more about the the legal rights you have when a debt collector contacts you, the federal law, and how to contact a consumer rights attorney for a free consultation.

To find out more about your rights or to contact a consumer lawyer for a free consultation, call 1-877-432-9212 or email Kenneth J. Riemer, Attorney at Law.