Debt Collector Abuse
Protect Yourself From Abusive Debt Collectors
Just because you are behind on payments, or haven’t been able to pay your bills when due, does not mean your creditors have the right to harass or belittle you. Believe it or not, some laws protect your rights to ensure creditors do not harass, oppress, or abuse you in their efforts to collect on past bills. This law is called the “Fair Debt Collection Practice Act” or FDCPA for short. Just a few of the activities which would cause a creditor to violate the law include:
- Asking you to pay more than you owe
- Asking you to pay interest, fees, or expenses that are not allowed by law
- Calling repeatedly or continuously
- Using obscene, profane, or abusive language
- Calling before 8:00 am or after 9:00 pm
- Calling at times the collector knew or should know are inconvenient
- Using or threatening to use violence if you don’t pay the debt
- Threatening action they cannot or will not take
- Illegally informing a third party about your alleged debt
- Repeatedly calling others to get your location information
If you believe you have been the victim of any of these abusive tactics, be sure to keep an accurate record/log of all violations, including date, time, and summary of the conversation. If you have been a victim of an FDCPA violation, the law provides the debt collector must generally pay your attorney fees and damages as a result of their conduct. Call our office today if you believe you have been the victim of any of the above violations.
