The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) prohibits your creditors from using false, deceptive, or misleading tactics to collect a debt.
Common False Statements by Debt Collectors
Debt collectors aren’t allowed to falsely claim or even imply the following:
- They are attorneys or work for the government
- You have committed a crime by not repaying a debt
- That they work for a credit bureau
- That you could be arrested or sent to jail for nonpayment
- That they’ll garnish your wages, seize your bank account, or take your property (unless the terms of your debt permit that)
- Sending you documents that they falsely claim are “legal documents”
They also can’t do these things:
- Misrepresent how much you owe, or the status of your debt
- Threaten to take action that they aren’t legally allowed to take, or that they really don’t intend to take
- Send you documents that are designed to look like an official document from a court or government agency
- Use a company name that isn’t the true name of the debt collector’s company
I’ve got a debt collector pulling these tricks on me. What can I do?
If you think a debt collector has violated the FDCPA by any of the above practices, you should act quickly because you only have a year to file a lawsuit against them. An experienced debt collection abuse attorney can help you figure out where you stand.
It’s free to chat with me about your options – you can call or text me at 215.551.7109, or drop me a line.