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Knowing your legal rights is only way to stop abuse by debt collectors

Know your legal rights as a consumer so that you can stop illegal abuse by debt collectors. To give you a better understanding of the law iDebtHelp has compiled a four-part series of frequently asked questions concerning your legal rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. In this section, find what a debt collector can and can’t do in pursuing you:

So what do your legal rights prohibit when dealing with a debt collector?

5) May a debt collector contact anyone else about your debt? 

If you have an attorney, the debt collector may not contact anyone other than your attorney. If you do not have an attorney, a collector may contact other people, but only to find out where you live and work. Collectors usually are prohibited from contacting such permissible third parties more than once. In most cases, the collector may not tell anyone other than you and your attorney that you owe money. 

6) What must the debt collector tell you about the debt? 

Within five days after you are first contacted, the collector must send you a written notice telling you the amount of money you owe; the name of the creditor to whom you owe the money; and what action to take if you believe you do not owe the money. 

7) May a debt collector continue to contact you if you do not believe you owe the money? 

A collector may not contact you if, within 30 days after you are first contacted, you send the collection agency a letter stating you do not owe money. However, a collector can renew collection activities if you are sent proof of the debt, such as a copy of a bill for the amount owed.

MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS WITH DEBT COLLECTORS, SEE PART 3

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