Dealing with debt is a difficult task. The last thing you need on top of it is creditor harassment. Unfortunately, millions of Americans experience a form of debt collector harassment.
At times, you may struggle to tell if you face an act of harassment or not. You must distinguish this before making a decision on what to do to protect yourself.
What does the FDCPA consider harassment?
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau examines debt collector harassment. They start by discussing the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). It prevents debt collectors from abusing, harassing or annoying you in their pursuit of collection.
The FDCPA covers many forms of potential harassment. Some noted examples include:
- Calling without identifying themselves
- Repeatedly calling with the intent to harass
- Calling at inappropriate hours
- Use of profane or obscene language
- Threats of violence and harm
Some may try to shame you into paying debts by putting you on a public list of people who owe debts, too. This action is also illegal under the FDCPA.
Debt collector misrepresentation
Also, debt collectors cannot misrepresent themselves. This means they cannot lie to or mislead you about the amount of money you owe. They cannot pretend to be an attorney. They cannot make false threats about your potential arrest. They cannot make threats they have no intention of following through on. They also cannot make threats that are not legally possible.
If you experienced any of this, then you are a potential victim of debt collector harassment. You have several avenues you can pursue to obtain justice. Filing bankruptcy is one way to stop the harassment in its tracks in the meantime.
