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Debt Collectors under The Fair Credit Reporting Act. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act prohibits debt collectors from using unfair or deceptive practices to collect overdue bills that a CREDITOR has forwarded for collection.
You can stop a debt collector from contacting you by writing a letter to the collection agency telling them to stop. Once the debt collector receives your letter, the company may not contact you again — with two exceptions: they can tell you there will be no further contact and they can tell you that the debt collector or the CREDITOR intends to take some specific action.
A collector also may not contact you if, within 30 days after you receive the written notice, you send the collection agency a letter stating you do not owe the money.
Although your letter should stop the debt collector’s calls and dunning notices, it will not necessarily get rid of the debt itself, which may still turn up on your Credit Report.
A collector can renew collection activities if you’re sent proof of the debt. So, along with your letter stating you don’t owe the money, include copies of documents that support your position. If you’re a victim of identity theft, include a copy (NOT the original) of the police report. If you don’t have documentation to support your position, be as specific as possible about why the debt collector is mistaken.
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