The government is stepping up as debt collection scams rise. In recent news, Buffalo New York has been home to a number of unlawful debt collection practices, and authorities have arrested at least twelve people. Although the vast majority of collection agencies are legitimate and good for the economy, there has been a rising amount of deceptive and illegal practices.

In Buffalo, debt collectors have been caught calling up debtors and saying that they are law enforcement. They have threatened to send debtors to prison, or even take child custody away from them. And it doesn’t stop there.

A recent civil case imposed a $675,000 penalty ever imposed on a debt collection business, for illegal and deceptive practices. This includes badgering and lying to consumers, disclosing their debt to third parties, and cashing in on post dated checks early. These tactics were accompanied by deceptive claims from agents saying they were lawyers or other figures of authority.

Refusing to let consumers know the address or phone number of the “business” these bill collectors even went as far as to contact individuals who did not owe any money at all and attempted to collect from them. Despite claims that it was individual workers acting fraudulently, the Federal Trade Commission went after the business owners and won a case that imposed the biggest penalty ever for debt collection agencies.

To avoid the issue of being a victim to fraudulent collection companies, it is important that you know your rights. A collection agency may never seize a debtor’s assets, bank accounts, or paychecks. They are not permitted to get a debtor fired from their occupation, and cannot make any kind of public disclosures concerning the debt, and they can definitely never threaten or engage in violent acts.

To be more informed, refer to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which will list the rules and regulations of collections.

Rapid Recovery Solution is a medical debt collection company.