
                      FAIR DEBT COLLECTION

                          Provided By
                     Charley Brown's Office
                        Attorney General
                  Consumer Protection Division

     Complaints ÿabout ÿharrassment by debt collectors are ÿamong 
the most numerous complaints ÿreceived by ÿmy Consumer Protection 
Division.  ÿThere are both federal and state laws to protect ÿyou 
from unfair debt collection practices.   
     A debt collector may contact you in person, ÿin writing, ÿor 
by phone.  ÿHowever, ÿa ÿÿdebt collector may not ÿcontact ÿyou at 
inconvenient ÿor ÿunusual ÿtimes ÿor at ÿwork ÿif ÿyour ÿemployer 
disapproves. 
     You ÿmay ÿstop ÿa collection agency from contacting ÿyou ÿby 
writing ÿa ÿletter telling them to stop. ÿOnce they receive ÿthis 
letter, they may not contact you again. 
     No debt collector may threaten you with criminal prosecution 
to scare you into paying a bill.  ÿA collection agency cannot sue 
you, garnish your wages, or seize collateral on it's own. 
     Collection ÿagencies ÿcannot ÿuse obscene language ÿor ÿmake 
false ÿstatements ÿwhen collecting a debt.  ÿIn most cases, ÿÿthe 
collector is ÿnot ÿallowed to tell anyone other than you or ÿyour 
attorney that you owe money.  
     If ÿyou ÿshould encounter problems with ÿa ÿdebt ÿcollection 
agency, ÿplease contact my Consumer Protection Agency, ÿtoll free 
in West Virginia, at 1-800-368-8808.