FDCPA Violations Attorney
An FDCPA attorney makes debt collectors stop. If you are getting calls at all hours, threats, or contact at work, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is on your side, and the collector, not you, pays when they break it. We enforce it for Long Island consumers.
A Lot of What Collectors Do Is Against the Law
Collectors count on you not knowing the rules. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act sets hard limits on how third-party debt collectors can contact and treat you, and crossing those lines is a violation you can act on. Tap a tactic below to see which side of the law it falls on.
Calling Outside 8 AM to 9 PM
The FDCPA bars collectors from contacting you at times they know are inconvenient, and it presumes anything before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. in your time zone is off limits. A call at 11 p.m. is not just rude, it is a violation you can build a claim on.
Threatening Arrest, Jail, or Action They Can't Take
You cannot be arrested for an ordinary consumer debt, and collectors know it. Threatening jail, arrest, or a lawsuit they have no intention or ability to file is a classic FDCPA violation. So is threatening to garnish wages without a judgment.
Discussing Your Debt With Other People
A collector may not tell your employer, your neighbors, or your family about your debt. Contact with third parties is tightly limited, and calling your workplace after being told to stop is its own violation. Your debt is your business, not theirs to broadcast.
Demanding Written Verification of the Debt
You have the right to make a collector prove the debt is real and theirs to collect. Once you request validation in writing, they must send documentation and pause collection until they do. A collector who keeps pushing without verifying has stepped over the line.
Repeated Calls Meant to Harass
Calling again and again, back to back, or with the intent to annoy and abuse is prohibited. There is no magic number, it is about the pattern and the purpose. If the phone will not stop ringing, that pattern itself can be the violation.
Ignoring a Written Cease-Contact Request
Once you tell a collector in writing to stop contacting you, they must, with narrow exceptions like notifying you of a lawsuit. Continued calls or letters after a proper cease-contact request are a straightforward violation, and often the easiest to prove.
Common FDCPA Violations We See
Many collectors push boundaries hoping you will not know your rights. These are the violations that come up again and again, and any one of them can support a claim.
Calling before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., or at times and places they know are inconvenient for you.
Threatening arrest, jail, or a lawsuit they cannot or will not actually pursue.
Using obscene, abusive, or intimidating language to pressure or frighten you.
Discussing your debt with your employer, family, or friends without permission.
Ignoring a written request to stop contacting you, and calling anyway.
Refusing to provide written validation of the debt after you ask for it.
Misrepresenting the amount owed or who the original creditor actually is.
Reporting a false or disputed debt to the credit bureaus to pressure you.
Even If You Owe the Money, They Still Have to Follow the Rules
This is the point collectors hope you miss. Owing a debt does not strip you of your rights. The FDCPA protects you regardless, and when a collector violates it, you can recover damages for the harassment, plus attorney's fees, whether or not the underlying debt was valid.
From Ringing Phone to Silence
Redirect Contact to Us
Once you are represented, collectors must deal with your attorney, not you. The calls to your phone stop.
Review the Record
We go through the calls, letters, and messages, logging every contact that crossed a legal line.
Demand Verification
We require the collector to prove the debt and document the account, which many cannot properly do.
Pursue Damages
Where there are violations, we file and seek compensation, with the collector often covering the fees.
Harassment Often Comes With Other Problems
Collection abuse rarely travels alone. If a collector is also damaging your credit or has sued you, those are separate matters we handle too.
FCRA Credit Report Errors
When a collector reports a false or disputed debt to the bureaus, that is a credit-reporting problem governed by a different law, and we correct it.
Consumer Protection
The full picture of your rights against unfair collection and credit reporting, and how we enforce them across Long Island.
Deer Park
Local consumer protection help for Deer Park residents facing collection harassment or credit report errors.
FDCPA Violations FAQ
What qualifies as debt collection harassment?
Repeated calls meant to annoy, threats, intimidation, obscene language, calling at odd hours, or false claims about your debt all qualify. It is not about how you feel so much as what the collector did: the FDCPA lists specific prohibited conduct, and a single clear violation is enough to act on.
Can a collector contact my employer or family?
No. A debt collector generally cannot discuss your debt with anyone other than you, your spouse, or your attorney. They may not tell your boss, your coworkers, or your relatives what you owe. Calling your workplace after being told to stop is its own separate violation.
What should I do if I am being harassed by a debt collector?
Start keeping records: save voicemails, letters, and texts, and note the date and time of every call. That log is often what turns a complaint into a provable claim. Then talk to an FDCPA attorney. Once you are represented, the collector has to route contact through us, and the calls to you stop.
Do I still have rights if I actually owe the debt?
Yes, fully. This is the thing collectors count on you not knowing. Whether or not the debt is valid, the FDCPA's rules on how they may contact and treat you still apply. If they harass you, you can recover damages for the harassment even if the underlying debt was real.
Can I sue a debt collector, and what does it cost me?
Yes. When a collector violates the FDCPA, you can recover statutory damages, actual damages, and attorney's fees, and the law is written so the collector typically pays those fees, not you. That structure is what lets consumers hold collectors accountable without paying out of pocket. We review your situation for free.
You Do Not Have to Take the Calls. We Make Them Stop.
Serving Deer Park, Suffolk County, and all of Long Island. The first consultation is free, and in FDCPA cases the collector often covers the fees.
Talk to an FDCPA Attorney
Fill out the form and we will reach out to schedule your free consultation, or call 631-964-4418.