The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act Protects Consumers Like You

1 in 3 adults in America have debt in collections, and the federal government has passed laws creating rights for people who owe money and governing how debt collectors must act.  If a debt collector or creditor is found to have violated your rights, you could be eligible for a cash settlement.

If a creditor or debt collector is contacting you, and you have not experienced one of the violations listed below, your rights may still have been violated.  The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is a federal regulation passed in the 1970s. Its primary purpose is to protect debtors from overly aggressive, harassing debt collectors. Through various amendments over the years, the FDCPA protects clients against all types of FDCPA violations. The FDCPA is a complicated statute with numerous ways that it can be violated. The below is simply a list of some of the most common FDCPA violations.

Protections For Debtors

Just because you’re behind in paying your bills, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have rights. Owing money does not mean collectors can treat you like a criminal. A debt collector or creditor may not:

• Contact you before 8:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m.
• Contact you at work after you’ve told them you cannot take calls there.
• Contact you after you’ve asked them to stop (call us for more details).
• Contact or speak to others about your debt (except your spouse).
• Contact you or leave a message without identifying themselves or why they’re calling.
• Contact you to collect an invalid debt.
• Threaten you with violence or harm.
• Use obscenities, profane or abusive language, or shout or scream at you.
• Call repeatedly to annoy or harass.
• Misrepresent themselves as attorneys or government representatives.
• Make any false statements about your debt, including the amount owed or to who. it is owed.
• Tell you that you will be arrested or go to jail if you don’t pay your debt.
• Threaten to take any legal action against you that they cannot legally take or intend to do – including filing a lawsuit, seizing or putting liens against your property, or garnishing your wages  (a debt collector must first sue you and obtain a judgment from the court before they can do these things).
• Report or give false credit information about you.
• Ask you to pay more than you owe or the wrong amount.

The Power To Fight Back

Although every licensed creditor or collection agency should be well aware of the laws prohibiting certain collections actions, they continue to violate the laws and harass debtors. The FDCPA gives people the power to fight back against creditors who are harassing you. Our lawyers can look over your situation to uncover potential violations of the FDCPA or other similar regulations. We can force debt validation if you feel like a creditor is trying to collect on an invalid debt, and we can find a number of ways to stop creditor harassment.

We are Advocates for Justice

Hekmat Law Group attorneys fight for victims of FDCPA violations. If you believe you have been mistreated by debt collectors, contact us now for a free consultation and to learn more about your legal rights. If you think you may need a lawyer, don’t delay in contacting us. Your claims may be barred by a statute of limitations if you wait too long.