Plenty.

This is not to say that you should not communicate with employees from collection agencies when they contact you about a debt, but you should think very carefully about what you say to them.

You need to remember that they are not your friends, they are not there to help you, and information that you give them to them – to borrow a police phrase – can and will be used against you.

Don’t tell them where you work. They can start calling your employer and harassing you there.

Don’t tell them where you bank. It makes it easier for them to pursue a judgement against you.

Don’t acknowledge the debt that they claim that you owe, when they call you.

Instead, tell them that you of course want to pay off any debts that you owe, but you will need them to mail you a copy of any documentation that they claim proves that you owe the debt, as well as a complete account history.

If you have a P.O. Box to give them, rather than your home address, that is much better.

If the debt is legitimate and you want to work out a payment plan with them, make sure of two things. One, get the agreement in writing, and two, if you reach an agreement, make sure that you consistently make these payments.

If you can pay them with cashier’s checks – and save the receipt! – then you are better off doing that then writing checks from your bank account. You do not want them to have access to your checking account information.

Also, make copies of ALL correspondence that you send to them, put Cc: (Name of Debt Collection Agency) on the letter so they know that you made a copy, and send all letters to them by certified mail with return receipt.

If they know that you are keeping track of all conversations and correspondence with them, they are much less likely to try to pull a fast one on you. And if you are keeping good records, and they do try something shady, they are less likely to be able to get away with it.

However, you don’t have an obligation to be harassed, to be threatened, to be treated badly.

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act offers protection to consumers who have borrowed money.

This does not mean that you can, or should, borrow money with the intention not to repay.

However, let’s say that because of illness, or job loss, or a mortgage loan resetting, you have fallen behind in paying your bills.

Debt collectors are not allowed to:

Call you before 8 a.m.
Tell people that you owe money
Threaten to have you arrested
Threaten you in any way
Call you at work if your employer does not approve of their calls to you at work

When debt collectors contact you, to protect yourself:

Do NOT tell them where you work if they don’t know
Don’t give them bank information
Don’t pay them over the phone
Find out their information and do research to make sure they are a legitimate collection agency

Ask them to send you documentation which proves that you owe the debt that they claim that you owe, and also to provide a complete account history of this debt.

Do not acknowledge that you owe the debt; tell them you want to see proof of their claims.

If you do owe the debt, find out what kind of payment arrangements you can make with the collection agency, and stick to those payments. Don’t promise to make payments and then go back on it. This just makes things worse for you.