*--* Qmodem Session Capture File *--* *--* Qmodem Capture File 10/06/87 14:57:18 *--* f FAIR DEBT COLLECTION Provided By Charley Brown's Office Attorney General Consumer Protection Division Complaints ˙about ˙harrassment by debt collectors are ˙among the most numerous complaints ˙received by ˙my Consumer Protection Division. ˙There are both federal and state laws to protect ˙you from unfair debt collection practices. A debt collector may contact you in person, ˙in writing, ˙or by phone. ˙However, ˙a ˙˙debt collector may not ˙contact ˙you at inconvenient ˙or ˙unusual ˙times ˙or at ˙work ˙if ˙your ˙employer disapproves. You ˙may ˙stop ˙a collection agency from contacting ˙you ˙by writing ˙a ˙letter telling them to stop. ˙Once they receive ˙this letter, they may not contact you again. No debt collector may threaten you with criminal prosecution to scare you into paying a bill. ˙A collection agency cannot sue you, garnish your wages, or seize collateral on it's own. Collection ˙agencies ˙cannot ˙use obscene language ˙or ˙make false ˙statements ˙when collecting a debt. ˙In most cases, ˙˙the More [Y,n]? collector is ˙not ˙allowed to tell anyone other than you or ˙your attorney that you owe money. If ˙you ˙should encounter problems with ˙a ˙debt ˙collection agency, ˙please contact my Consumer Protection Agency, ˙toll free in West Virginia, at 1-800-368-8808. MAIN MENU: Type `?' by itself for help M)essage section F)ile section G)oodbye (logoff) S)tatistics A)ns Questions B)ulletin C)hange setup U)ser list/search E)xtra Info V)ersion