PRACTICE AREA
Debt Collection Harassment Lawyer
Hounded by collectors? The FDCPA prohibits abusive collection tactics — and entitles you to damages plus attorney’s fees when collectors cross the line. Our FDCPA attorneys represent consumers nationwide.
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The Law Protects You From Abusive Debt Collectors
In 1977, Congress passed the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) to protect consumers from the abusive tactics of third-party debt collectors. The law provides real remedies: actual damages, statutory damages, and your attorney’s fees and costs — paid by the collector. Being hounded by debt collectors takes a substantial emotional and financial toll. If a collector has crossed the line with you or a loved one, you may have a claim.
Communications the FDCPA Prohibits
Debt collectors cannot contact you in connection with a debt:
- At unusual times or places — specifically after 8:00 p.m. or before 9:00 a.m.
- If you are represented by an attorney
- At your workplace, if your employer prohibits such communications
Collectors also may not discuss your debt with anyone other than you, your attorney, or a credit reporting agency — no calls to your family, neighbors, or coworkers about what you owe.
You Can Make Them Stop
Once you notify a collector in writing that you refuse to pay or want communication to cease, they may only contact you to confirm they’re stopping, or to notify you of specific remedies they intend to invoke. Continued collection calls after a written cease request violate the FDCPA.
Harassment and Abuse Are Illegal
The FDCPA prohibits collectors from harassing, oppressing, or abusing you, including:
- Using or threatening violence against you, your reputation, or your property
- Using obscene language
- Publishing lists of consumers who owe debts (other than to a credit bureau)
- Advertising your debt for sale to coerce payment
- Calling repeatedly to annoy or harass
- Calling without disclosing their identity
And the law protects more than just the person who owes the debt — spouses, parents of minors, guardians, executors, and administrators are all covered.
How We Fight Debt Collection Cases
1. We document the abuse. Call logs, voicemails, letters, and witness accounts — the evidence that proves the violations.
2. We shut down the harassment. Once we represent you, collectors must deal with us, not you.
3. We pursue compensation. Actual damages, statutory damages up to $1,000, and attorney’s fees paid by the collector. If the debt isn’t even yours, we pursue the credit reporting side too.
The Collection Companies Consumers Ask About Most
The company calling you is often not the company you borrowed from. Large debt buyers purchase portfolios of charged-off accounts for pennies on the dollar and then collect in their own name, while contingency agencies collect on behalf of an original creditor for a percentage. The distinction matters because it determines who holds the account records, who must validate the debt when you ask, and whose name will appear if a collection tradeline lands on your credit report.
- Midland Credit Management — one of the largest debt buyers operating in the United States.
- Portfolio Recovery Associates — another national purchaser of charged-off consumer accounts.
- LVNV Funding — a debt buyer whose accounts are worked by a separate servicing company.
- Jefferson Capital Systems — a buyer of accounts across several consumer credit categories.
- Cavalry Portfolio Services — a collector consumers frequently encounter after an account is sold.
- Resurgent Capital Services — a servicer collecting on debts owned by affiliated buyers.
Ask for validation in writing within thirty days of the first contact, and keep every voicemail, letter and call log. A collector that continues to demand payment before validating, that contacts you at work after being told to stop, or that reports a debt it cannot substantiate has given you a claim independent of whether the underlying balance was ever owed. Written records are what turn an ordinary complaint into a provable one.
Frequently Asked Questions
A collector keeps calling about a debt that isn't mine. What do I do?
Demand written verification of the debt, dispute it in writing, and keep records of every call. Collecting on a debt that isn't yours — especially after you dispute it — can violate both the FDCPA and the FCRA if it's on your credit report.
How many calls count as harassment?
There's no magic number — the question is whether the calls are intended to annoy, abuse, or harass. Repeated daily calls, back-to-back calls, and calls after you've asked them to stop all point toward violations.
Can collectors call my family or my job?
Collectors may not discuss your debt with anyone but you, your attorney, or a credit bureau — and they can't call your workplace if your employer prohibits it. Telling your boss or your mother about your debt is a violation.
What compensation can I recover?
Actual damages (including emotional distress), statutory damages up to $1,000, plus your attorney's fees and costs — paid by the collector, not by you.
What does it cost to hire you?
Nothing out of pocket. The FDCPA makes the collector pay your attorney's fees when you win. If we don't win, you don't pay.
This practice area is part of our broader FCRA practice — see how the Fair Credit Reporting Act protects you and makes the violator pay your legal fees.
What Clients Say
“Rich came in, worked over the holidays and saved me from these predators. He won our case and a judgment in our favor. His exemplary work ethics and professionalism are above reproach.”
Azanda — Verified review
“Mr. Kim quickly familiarized himself with all details of my case, conveyed a clear and concise plan of action, and maintained the highest standards of ethical conduct, culminating in a financial settlement in my favor.”
Cathy — Verified review
“He stayed consistent for a year handling my case and got me a judgment against the defendant I sued. He is one of the best lawyers that you can hire.”
Martin — Avvo review
Case results depend on a variety of factors, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The information on this website may not reflect current legal developments and is provided without any knowledge as to the reader/user’s specific circumstances. The application and impact of laws varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Attorneys’ fees and compensation are provided from a successful resolution. The law firm’s office is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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