When dealing with debt collectors, you may find yourself in some tricky situations. While most debt collectors will approach the situation with integrity, some may still try to cut corners or take illegal actions to get their way.
Debt collector misrepresentation is one of these shortcuts, as well as behavior you have protection against.
A different form of intimidation
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau examines debt collector misrepresentation as it occurs in daily life. Misrepresentation differs from harassment in several crucial ways. First of all, the goal of misrepresentation is not to scare or intimidate you in the same way harassment is.
However, there is still an element of intimidation. But the debt collector will utilize underhanded and manipulative means instead of focusing on sheer physical or emotional threats. For example, they may pretend one of their agents has a legal degree when they do not, and state that this agent can take you to court and take your house.
Lying about police involvement
They may also lie about police involvement. A lying debt collector might pretend they have a warrant out for your arrest, when in reality they could not get one or did not even contact the police department in the first place.
In the heat of the moment, it is hard to discern whether a debt collector is telling the truth or misrepresenting facts. But focusing on these risks and understanding the possibility that they may occur is the first step toward protecting yourself from this form of illegal behavior.
