Debt Collector Owes $33,000 for Harassing Consumer

Anaheim, CAAn alleged case of debt collector harassment has led to a bill collector harassment lawsuit that resulted in a debt collector owing $33,000 to the person he attempted to collect from. In addition to repeatedly calling the consumer, the debt collector allegedly made nasty comments about the woman’s weight and continued phoning even after she paid her debt. According to ABC News (11/29/14), however, now the debt collector refuses to pay.

ABC News reports that Jessica Burke bought a car in 2007 and owed $350 in late payments on the car. A debt collector (whose real name and employer were kept private by ABC News) was eventually called in to obtain the money. In the course of doing so, the collector reportedly phoned Burke repeatedly, contacted her boss, told Burke he could find her anywhere and made remarks about her weight, including calling her “Porky Pig.”

According to the article, at one point the collector allegedly sent 15 messages a day, although the defendant said a collections manager from the car lot sent those texts. Burke said she repaid the debt but the harassment continued. After filing a lawsuit, Burke was awarded $33,000, but the collector has refused to pay.

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act protects consumers from abusive practices at the hands of debt collectors. Among the rules set out in the act are prohibitions against harassing behavior, phone calls made at certain times of day and contacting the consumer’s employer.

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act was enacted due to “abundant evidence of the use of abusive, deceptive, and unfair debt collection practices by many debt collectors,” the Act states.

Debt collectors have faced lawsuits alleging they used abusive tactics to force consumers to pay debts. One such firm was reportedly charged with threatening consumers with jail time and having employees tell consumers they worked with the U.S. Marshals Service. According to court documents, Williams, Scott & Associates employees and the company operator “routinely tricked and coerced or attempted to trick and coerce thousands of victims throughout the United States into paying millions of dollars in consumer debts through a variety of false statements and false threats.”

Investigators allege WSA’s scheme targeted more than 6,000 victims in all 50 states and resulted in the company collecting around $4.1 million.