(FOX19) -
Bill collectors sometimes call
Kevin Lynn's house up to 20 times a day, yet the debt isn't even his.
"I always told them I don't owe the debt, they had the wrong
person, that I don't know who the person is," Lynn said.
But that person apparently used
to live in the same house. Kevin has filed three lawsuits to get this ringing
to stop. Even more frustrating, Lynn's phone company charges him for each
incoming call.
The Federal Trade Commission got more than 150,000 complaints about
debt collectors last year. That's more than any other industry.
"Some of our number one
sources of complaints for consumers are for harassment and abuse: calling too
often, using profanity, making violent or abusive threats," said FTC attorney
Chris Koegel.
To crack down, a new federal
agency called the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau is starting to police some of the largest
collection agencies in the country.
Have you ever wondered how bad
can some company's tactics get? Just take a look at some of these messages left
in consumers' voicemail systems:
"I'm going ahead with a
warrant for your arrest," said one debt collector.
"You will be behind bars
for six months," said another. "And once you go behind the bars you may lose
your job."
In one FTC lawsuit filed
against a bill collector, a grieving mother said she was asked how she would
feel if the funeral home dug up her son's body and "dropped it outside my
house because I hadn't paid my debt."
"Every industry is going
to have bad apples," said Pat Morris, who represents the Association
of Credit and Collection Professionals.
The debt collection trade
association says it wants those using abusive tactics weeded out so others can
do the job right.
"Don't shoot the
messenger," Morris said. "We're here doing our job. We're here respecting laws
and regulations and we treat consumers with respect."
Starting this month, the CFPB
got new authority to make sure large collection firms are not harassing or
deceiving consumers into paying debt and are using accurate data to pursue
debts.
Lynn says that's good news
because he's still getting collection calls and feels helpless to do anything
about the harassment.
"Americans definitely need a new watchdog to help them,"
he said.
To file a complaint against a debt collector, contact the Federal
Trade Commission and your state's attorney general. In Ohio, that's Mike
DeWine's office. In Kentucky, it's the office
of Jack Conway. And in Indiana, it's Greg Zoeller's office.
To reach the Federal Trade Commission by phone, call (877)
FTC-HELP (877-382-4357).
Also, be sure you know your rights by reading about what debt
collectors can and can't do.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau tells FOX19 it's not
currently accepting complaints about debt collectors. However, they are
collecting consumer's stories here: https://help.consumerfinance.gov/app/tellyourstory
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