Top 3 Frequently Asked Questions About Unfair Debt Collection

Written by Cooper and Friedman on August 25, 2026

Unfair debt collection is when debt collectors use unfair, abusive, or deceptive methods of collection for credit card debt, car loans, medical bills, student loans, mortgages, and other household debts. They are governed by a federal law called the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) that sets boundaries for them that they may not always adhere to. Here are three frequently asked questions about unfair debt collection according to the Federal Trade Commission.

Key Takeaways:

It is illegal for debt collectors to harass, threaten, lie, or break the 7-7-7 rule.
If you ask a debt collector not to contact you at work, by email or text message, or on social media, they must honor your request.
Debt collectors must give you validation information about your debt within 5 days of first contact.

1. How and When are debt collectors allowed to contact me?

Debt collectors are only allowed to contact you between the hours of 8am-9pm unless otherwise agreed upon. Additionally, they must abide by the 7-7-7 rule, which states that they cannot call you more than 7 times within a 7-day period or within 7 days after talking with you by phone about a specific debt.

Initially, they are allowed to contact you via email, social media private messages, written letters, text messages, or phone calls. However, they must honor your request if you explicitly ask them not to contact you:

At work
By email
By text message
By social media private message

2. What are debt collectors not allowed to do?

Debt collectors are not allowed to discuss your debt with anyone but you or your spouse. They also cannot harass you, lie to or deceive you, or treat you unfairly.

Examples of harassment in debt collection:

Threats
Obscene or profane language
Overwhelming contact or breaking the 7-7-7 rule

Examples of lies in debt collection:

Debt collectors pretending to be someone they are not, like an attorney or government official
Debt collectors telling you that you owe a different amount than what you actually owe
Debt collectors telling you that you will be arrested
Debt collectors telling you that they will sue you

Examples of unfair treatment:

Trying to collect interest, fees, or unauthorized charges on top of what you owe
Depositing a post-dated check early
Publicly revealing your debts

3. What does the debt collector have to tell me about the debt?

Upon first contact or within 5 days of first contact, a debt collector must give you validating information about your debt. This includes:

Their name and mailing address
The name of the creditor you owe the debt to
How much money you owe, written out to include interest, fees, payments, and credits
What to do if you don’t think it’s your debt
Your debt collection rights, including your right to get information about the original creditor if you ask for it within 30 days of getting validation information from the collector

If you or someone you love has experienced unfair debt collection in the State of Kentucky and are in need of an experienced unfair credit reporting and debt collection attorney, give the lawyers at the Cooper & Friedman law firm a call. The attorneys at Cooper and Friedman PLLC have over 50 years of combined experience defending the rights of debt collection victims. Contact us with questions you might have or schedule a free case consultation with an attorney by calling 502-459-7555 today.