If you owe a debt to a debt collector than you need to be aware of the fact that a new law recently passed that will allow collection agencies to contact you through social media. This will start taking place in 2021 so be prepared. As if it isn’t bad enough that debt collectors can contact you by phone and through the mail, they will soon be able to contact you through Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, and any other social media platform that you belong to. Most people turn to social media to socialize and to relax.
Other people use social media to post their opinions on anything from sports to politics and everything in between. Now your social media platforms may very well turn into yet another place where debt collectors will end up harassing you. As if it isn’t bad enough that they call you on the phone all of the time, and send you what seems like endless pieces of mail, now debt collectors will be able to reach you on social media. Are there any safe places for you these days? Debt collectors call you at home. They call you at work.
Now they can contact you through social media. It just doesn’t seem fair. As great as technology is, now debt collectors can use it against you. The good news is that debt collectors can actually get into trouble if they fail to follow the rules and regulations that the federal government has in place to protect consumers from debt harassment. For example, if a debt collector or multiple debt collectors are calling you at home they may be breaking the law. They may also be breaking the law when calling you at work. Sometimes debt collectors simply do not realize that you are a person that may be suffering from difficulties in your life.
You may have had good intentions to pay all of your bills and to pay them on time, but life tends to get in the way. Some debt collectors feel as if they can take advantage of you or even abuse you because you owe a past debt. This is not true. Debt collectors need to treat you with both dignity and respect at all times. If they do not, they are most likely committing debt harassment. If a debt collector is committing debt harassment it is very important for you to know that you have rights. In fact, you may even be able to sue them in a court of law.
If the debt collection agency is found guilty, you will be compensated for your pain and suffering. Once again, debt collectors are not allowed to harass you when speaking to you on the phone, through the mail, or on social media. Debt collectors cannot bully you in any way in order to force you to pay them the debt that is owed. Debt collectors cannot threaten to have you arrested if you fail to pay them although they may attempt to use this tactic on you. That means debt collectors do not have the power or the right to arrest you or to have you arrested.
Some debt collectors will make the threat to scare you into paying them. Do not listen to this. It is debt harassment plain and simple. Some debt collectors will contact you and inform you that they will be putting a lean on your wages until you pay the debt that you owe them. That is also a form of debt harassment. In essence it is a technique that they use to scare you into paying them. The bottom line is that debt collectors do not have the ability to garnish your wages. So what can you do if you are a victim of debt harassment?
First and foremost, you can make it stop. You certainly do not need to stay awake at night worrying about the empty threats that some debt collectors will make. You also do not need to worry that it is a debt collector calling whenever the phone rings. You can stop being nervous whenever you go to the mailbox to collect the mail. Now that debt collectors will be able to contact you on social media, you will not need to worry about suffering from debt harassment whenever you turn on your computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.
Please contact your Legal Rights Advocates today if you are a victim of debt harassment. We are here to help.
(855) 254-7841
