The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) prohibits debt collectors (but not creditors) from engaging in abusive, deceptive, and unfair practices. It's also worth mentioning that the FDCPA does not apply to your original creditor. It regulates only debt collectors’ conduct. If you're being harassed by debt collectors, we encourage you to contact our team of experienced attorneys. Using the FDCPA, we can stop the debt collectors from illegally contacting you. But before we can fully evaluate your situation, and thus determine if you have a valid claim, please call our firm at 804-282-7900.
A debt collector’s conduct can violate the FDCPA in multiple ways; some of the most common violations include:
- Threatening to put you in jail in connection with the alleged debt;
- Communicating with the debtor at places known to be inconvenient to the debtor, including his place of employment despite being repeatedly told to stop;
- Engaging in conduct of which the natural consequence is to harass, oppress, or abuse, including using profanity and causing the debtor’s telephone to ring with intent to annoy, abuse, or harass;
- Failing to validate the debt at the time of initial contact and/or in writing within five days thereafter;
- Failing to cease communications after being directed to do so by the debtor;
- Communicating with persons other than the debtor for purposes other than to locate the debtor and communicating specific information about the debt owed;
- Yelling and being otherwise verbally abusive in connection with the collection of this alleged debt;
- Failing to provide meaningful disclosure of the debt collector’s identity and address;
- Using false, deceptive, or misleading representations in connection with the collection of this debt, including using and distributing written communications simulating or falsely representing itself to be a document authorized, issued, or approved by an agency of the United States or any State;
- Failing to disclose in the initial communication that the communication is an attempt to collect a debt;
- Failing to disclose in the initial communication the alleged debtor has thirty days to dispute the debt;
- Making false and misleading representations regarding the character and status of the debt;
- Threatening to take legal action that cannot be taken.
A Debt Settlement Attorney Can Stop Harassment and Help Settle Your Debt
If you are being harassed by a debt collector, please call us at 804-282-7900. Our experienced team of attorneys can put an end to the endless illegal harrassment and help you settle your debt efficiently. From our headquarters in Richmond, we serve all of Virginia. Contact us today for a free case analysis to learn more.