Debt collectors have been on a rampage for years.  In 2022, the Federal Trade Commission returned $4.86 million to consumers who have been harassed by debt collectors.  Just because you owe money, and millions of people do, does not give a debt collector a right to right to call you incessantly or harass you for a debt.  Many times, debt collectors and creditors harass people for money that they do not even owe.

A Creditor Harassment Attorney will cost you nothing out of pocket.

 

The law that protects consumers is the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”).  Under this law, a consumer is entitled to not only damages, but the costs of an action and attorneys fees.  A seasoned creditor harassment lawyers will not charge  you anything out of your pocket to pursue your case.  Rather, a seasoned creditor harassment lawyer will collect his or her fees and costs from the settlements that he receives from the defendants.

 

So what acts by a debt collector is considered harassment?

The FDCPA describes these acts broadly.  However, here is a list of just some of the ways that a debt collector can violate your rights:

 

  1. Credit reporting a debt that you don’t owe;
  2. Credit reporting a debt that you do owe, but that you have disputed, without telling the credit bureau that you dispute the debt (We see a lot of this).
  3. Calling you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
  4. Telling any third party (other than your spouse, lawyer or the court) that you owe a debt;
  5. Threatening to take action against you that the debt collector does not have the right to take or the intention of taking;
  6. Threatening you with violence or criminal action;
  7. Calling you on the phone repeatedly;
  8. Failing to tell you that they are debt collectors when talking with you;
  9. Lying to you in connection with the debt; this can be misrepresenting the amount that you owe or the fees that you owe in connection with the debt;
  10. Charging you fees and costs for which there is no contract or law obligating you to pay;
  11. Debt collectors reporting debts as open when they have been either satisfied or discharged in bankruptcy.

 

We have seen many debt collectors violate peoples rights

A few year ago, we pursued a debt buyer called “Goldman Roth and Associates.”  They were sleazy debt buyers trying to pass themselves off as a law firm.  We sued them and even took the deposition of these creeps.  They were a bunch of guys in their 20s and 30s who simply buying debt and threatening people.

These days, we see companies some property management companies and debt collectors that work for property management companies frequently violate people’s rights under the FDCPA.

 

You do not have to be victim of debt collector harassment

Debt collectors want you to believe that because you owe money, that you need to pay them and that there is nothing you can do it.  They are wrong.  You can fight back.  You don’t need to be victimized by these low level creatures.

If you have been harassed by a debt collector or even think you have been harassed by them, visit us at Credit Repair Lawyers of America for more information.  Please call us at (855) 956-2089 or email us at [email protected] for a free, no obligation consultation.