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Don’t Take Phone Calls from Credit Card Debt Collectors

There is little or no legal weight to a phone call from a credit card debt collector.  Anyone can say anything and get away with it.  Debt collectors use that to their full advantage.  The telephone is their weapon of choice.  Once things get reduced to writing, they become toothless.

Written communications from and to a credit card debt collector are what matter in court. They are part of an effective solution to eliminate credit card debt. If a consumer is writing to a debt collector it should always be certified return receipt requested.

There is a saying in online consumer forums, 100 percent of debt collectors tell lies 100 percent of the time.  Here are some examples of those lies:

1. They claim over the telephone that a lawsuit has been filed against you in your local court, and that the summons is on its way to you.  This is an awful, scary lie.
2. They threaten to have you arrested. (Debts are civil, not criminal.)
3. They threaten to put a negative listing on your credit report.
4. They threaten to have your wages garnished.
5. They threaten to have your bank account seized.

Each of these lies is a violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

On the phone, credit card debt collectors attempt to get you to admit to the debt, confirm the debt’s credit card number and share personal information like your Social Security number, your work place phone number, and your bank account information.  According to the Credit Card Debt Survival Guide, at this point you should deny and dispute the debt (whether or not it is yours), tell them they are just a voice on the other end of the line.  They could be anyone, and you do not share your personal financial information with strangers. Then hang up.