What does debt collector harassment look like?

 Posted on August 11, 2022 in General Bankruptcy Topics

Dealing with debt collectors is not the most fun thing. It becomes even more harrowing when up against a debt collector who refuses to abide by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).

The ways in which a debt collector may avoid abiding by the FDCPA can differ in many ways. What does harassment in specific tend to look like?

Overt debt collector harassment

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau takes a look at debt collector harassment. This is an umbrella of actions banned by the aforementioned FDCPA, though of course, not every debt collector will abide by the act.

Harassing acts fall under an umbrella definition that generally speaks of anything that causes the target to feel anxious, unsafe, afraid or other such negative feelings due to actions taken or words spoken by the debt collector.

This can include more overt threats, such as directly threatening a family with eviction if they do not repay their debts or even threatening someone within the household with bodily harm.

Obscure threats

It can also include more obscure threats. This includes creating an unsafe or uncomfortable environment through tactics like calling at odd hours without self-identifying, or sending an agent to camp outside of the property and commence with surveillance on the people in a house.

However, if a debt collector is in violation of the FDCPA - such as all debt collectors who engage in harassment - then a person has the right to take legal action against them. In such court cases, the legal fees often get assigned to the debt collector, making it a reasonable path to pursue.