First Time Visitors

Start Your Education Here:

Attention Consumers! 

If you are contacted by a Debt Collector:

NEVER

   give a debt collector your banking or credit card information.

   They will take much more than you authorize.

NEVER

   do "checks by phone" as debt collectors could empty your bank account. 

   You would have little recourse.

NEVER

BEWARE

   Paying a collector will NOT get an amount removed from 

   your credit report. They do NOT have that ability.

RECORD

   conversations with collectors (where legal) so they can be

   held accountable if they break the law.

NEVER

   do anything based only on a phone call.  A legitimate collector

   should be willing to put agreements in writing BEFORE a payment is made.

Under Provisions of Federal Law

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

It is Illegal for Debt Collectors to:

• Imply that failure to pay the debt could result in arrest, imprisonment, or garnishment of wages;

• Call consumers at work when they knew the consumers' employers prohibited such calls;

• Talk with third parties, including neighbors, children, and employers, for purposes other than acquiring location information about consumers, without consumers' consent;

• Cause the telephone to ring, or engage a person in telephone conversations, repeatedly or continuously, with the intent to annoy, abuse, or harass a consumer;

• Threaten to take action -- such as filing a lawsuit -- when they did not intend to do so;

• Call consumers at times or places that they knew or should have known were inconvenient;

• Fail to notify consumers of their right to dispute and obtain verification of their debts, and to obtain the name of the original creditor  

• Continue to try to collect debts after consumers disputed them in writing, and before verifying the debts.

• Use obscene or profane language

Consumer Frauds Division Buffalo Regional Office

Violations of the FDCPA or consumer complaints against collectors in New York State should be directed to the Office of the Attorney General. Tape recordings (where legal) of the laws being broken are especially helpful. Complaint forms are here:  PDF     Website: www.oag.state.ny.us

Direct line in Buffalo is 716-856-8404

Fax: (for completed forms)  716-853-8414

Let's not bother these folks with petty questions; take the time to complete the form and get the recordings into their hands.  They are pro-active and will in time stop an agency from acting illegally.