Debt Collector Harassing You With Repeated Calls? Your Rights

What can I do if a debt collector is harassing me with repeated phone calls? That question comes up constantly, and the answer starts with a federal law called the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). This guide walks Colorado borrowers — including the many military families around Colorado Springs — through what debt collectors can and cannot do, and the concrete steps the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recommends.

Here is the short version before we go deep:

• The FDCPA prohibits repeated or continuous phone calls made with the intent to harass, oppress, or abuse you.
• Debt collectors must give you validation information about the debt, generally in writing, when they first contact you or within five days of that initial communication.
• You can dispute the debt if you do not owe it or the amount is wrong.
• If a repayment or settlement plan is reached, get every promise in writing before you pay.
• You can file a complaint with the CFPB online or by calling (855) 411-CFPB (2372).

Is it illegal for a debt collector to keep calling me?

Under the FDCPA, debt collectors are prohibited from placing repeated or continuous telephone calls or conversations with the intent to harass, oppress, or abuse you. That is the core protection against harassing phone calls.

So the pattern matters. A debt collector contacting you about a particular debt is allowed; a barrage of debt collector calls designed to wear you down crosses into harassment the law prohibits.

Knowing the rule is step one. Step two is knowing what information the caller owes you.

What information must a debt collector give me?

When debt collectors contact you, they must give you certain information about the debt they say you owe, or provide it within five days of first communicating with you. Generally, debt collectors must provide this information in writing, either by mail or electronically.

This validation information helps you figure out whether you actually owe the debt, and it explains how to dispute the debt if you do not. If you are unsure who you owe money to or how much you owe, you can request that the debt collector provide more information.

You can read the CFPB’s own guidance on negotiating with a debt collector, which covers these validation rules.

Once you know what the collector must provide, you can respond strategically instead of reactively.

How to stop harassing phone calls: a step-by-step response

Document every call

Keep a record of when the debt collector contacts you, which phone number the caller used, and what was said. A written log is useful evidence if you later file a complaint or face legal action.

Verify before you pay

Do not pay a dime until you confirm the debt is yours. The validation notice exists so consumers can check the creditor’s name, the amount claimed, and whether the caller even has the right person.

Dispute the debt if it is wrong

If you do not owe the debt, or the amount is wrong, the validation information explains how to dispute it. If the collector has the wrong person entirely, a dispute puts that on the record.

If the debt is real, the next question is how to resolve it without wrecking the rest of your budget.

What if I actually owe the debt?

Calculate a realistic repayment plan

The CFPB suggests writing down your monthly take-home pay and your monthly expenses, including the amount you want to repay each month, and leaving room for emergencies. Falling behind on other bills while paying this one can create new problems.

If you are struggling, a non-profit credit counselor can help you create a budget and work with the collectors.

Make a proposal and get it in writing

When you talk to the debt collector, explain your financial situation. You may have more room to negotiate with a debt collector than with the original creditor.

If you agree to a repayment or settlement plan, get the plan and the debt collector’s promises in writing before you make a payment. Those promises may include stopping collection efforts and ending or forgiving the debt once the plan is complete.

If you have more than one debt with the same collector, you can direct how payments are applied. Debt collectors are not allowed to apply a single payment to multiple debts you are disputing.

Be careful with debt settlement companies

Avoid companies that charge money in advance to settle debts for you. Some debt settlement companies promise more than they can deliver, certain creditors may refuse to work with them, and in many cases the company cannot settle the debt anyway.

Resolving the debt also affects what shows up on paper — which matters enormously if a mortgage is in your future.

Can a debt collector report the debt on my credit report?

Before a debt collector can report a debt to a credit reporting company, the collector must follow the rules for contacting you. The CFPB explains these steps in its guidance on when a debt collector can report to a credit reporting company.

A debt collector must first speak with you in person or by telephone, or mail a letter or send an electronic communication and wait a reasonable amount of time — generally 14 days — for any notice that it was not delivered. If you received a validation notice, the collector has generally satisfied the contact requirement.

Whether or not you have a debt in collection, check your credit report frequently for accuracy. Collection activity can surface when a lender pulls credit for a home loan, so catching errors early matters.

Sometimes the calls escalate into something more serious: a lawsuit.

What if the debt collector threatens to sue me?

A debt collector cannot use the threat of a lawsuit to collect a debt if they do not intend to file one. They also cannot sue or threaten to sue when the statute of limitations — the period of time they have to file a lawsuit to collect a debt — has expired.

If you are actually served with a lawsuit, read it carefully and respond by the deadline in the court papers, personally or through an attorney. Responding does not mean you agree that you owe the debt; it forces the collector to prove the debt is valid.

If you do not respond, the court could enter a default judgment against you. Depending on your situation and state law, a judgment may let the creditor garnish wages, place a lien against property, or move to freeze bank funds. The CFPB covers this in detail in its guide on what to do if you are sued by a debt collector.

For Colorado Springs military families, there is a dedicated resource worth knowing about.

Extra help for servicemembers in Colorado Springs

If you are a servicemember, consult your local JAG office or use the JAG Legal Assistance Office locator to find help. Your installation’s financial readiness office can also provide information — a practical option for military members stationed in the Pikes Peak region.

Civilians can look for attorneys experienced in FDCPA and debt collection issues; some offer free services or reduced fees, and legal aid offices or clinics may help if you meet their criteria.

Whether military or civilian, everyone has one more tool: the federal complaint process.

How to file a complaint about a debt collector

If a debt collector violates the rules — harassing calls, improper credit reporting, or anything else — you can submit a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau online or by calling (855) 411-CFPB (2372).

Include your call log, copies of any written request or letter you sent, and the validation notice if you received one. Sending important correspondence by certified mail creates a paper trail.

Your next step

Start today: request validation information, log every call, and dispute the debt in writing if it is not yours. If harassment continues, file a complaint with the CFPB. And if collection accounts are standing between you and a home purchase in Colorado, talk with a loan officer at 719 Lending about how collection items on a credit report fit into the mortgage picture — cleaning up debt collection issues now makes the path to a loan application much clearer later.

Frequently asked questions

Is it illegal for a debt collector to call me repeatedly?

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act prohibits debt collectors from placing repeated or continuous telephone calls or conversations with the intent to harass, oppress, or abuse you. If that is happening, document the calls and submit a complaint with the CFPB.

How do I know if I really owe the debt a collector is calling about?

Debt collectors must give you validation information about the debt when they first contact you or within five days of that initial communication, generally in writing. That information helps you confirm whether you owe the debt and explains how to dispute it if you don’t.

Where do I report a debt collector who is harassing me?

You can submit a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau online or by calling (855) 411-CFPB (2372). Include records of the phone calls and any letters or notices you received.

Can a debt collector put the debt on my credit report without contacting me?

No. Before reporting to a credit reporting company, a debt collector must first contact you — in person, by telephone, by mail, or electronically — and, for a letter or electronic message, wait a reasonable amount of time (generally 14 days) for any notice that it wasn’t delivered.

What happens if I ignore a debt collection lawsuit?

If you don’t respond by the deadline in the court papers, the court could enter a default judgment against you. Depending on state law, a judgment may allow wage garnishment, a lien against your property, or frozen bank funds, so always respond — personally or through an attorney.

Should I pay a debt settlement company to stop debt collector calls?

The CFPB warns against companies that charge money in advance to settle debts. Some promise more than they can deliver, certain creditors may refuse to work with them, and in many cases they can’t settle the debt anyway. A non-profit credit counselor is an alternative resource.

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719 Lending Inc. is not affiliated with or endorsed by HUD, FHA, VA, USDA, CHFA, the CFPB, or any government agency.

Last updated: October 2026