Debt collection agencies are prohibited from engaging in the following harassing or abusive practices:
- using or threatening to use violence or criminal means to harm you;
- using obscene or profane language;
- advertising your debt for sale;
- telephoning you repeatedly or continuously with the intent to annoy or harass; or
- placing telephone calls without meaningful disclosures of their identity.
False or Misleading Representations: Debt collection agencies are prohibited from:
- making false representations that they are government representatives;
- making false representations that they will seize, garnish or sell any property or wages unless such action is lawful;
- making false representations that you have committed a crime or that you will be arrested or imprisoned;
- making false representations that papers resembling official documents are from a court or governmental agency, when they are not;
- making false representations about the amount of the debt;
- making false representations that the debt collector is employed by a credit bureau;
- making false representations that they are attorneys or that there is the involvement of an attorney in collecting a debt;
- making threats to communicate false credit information with any other person; or
- using a false business name.
Other Prohibited Practices: Debt collection agencies are prohibited from:
- collecting an amount greater than what you owe;
- depositing a post-dated check prior to the date on the check;
- contacting you by postcard;
- threatening to take possession of your property through non-judicial action, when there is no right to do so.
