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Collections agencies will either contact you through the mail or over the phone. Either way, you should not pay any money right away. The collection agency is legally required to take several steps to prove that you owe them money before you're obligated to pay. There are even scams where con artists pose as debt collectors and intimidate you into sending them money. So don't pay anything before going through more steps to verify that you legitimately owe the agency money. It is important to keep track of all your contacts with the agency. If the situation eventually ends up in court, you'll have plenty of records to help your case.  If you receive a phone call, ask for the name of the collection agency, the name of the person speaking to you, and the amount they say you owe. Write all of this down with the date you were contacted and a summary of the conversation. Do this every time you speak to the agency on the phone. Make copies of any letters the agency sends you in the mail and keep them all together in a folder. Also keep copies of letters you send to the agency and send everything via certified mail and request to be notified when it is successfully delivered. Save any voice mails or phone messages the agency leaves you. According to federal law, collectors must disclose their identity to you. If the person who's contacted you refuses to reveal the information you've requested, you may be dealing with a con artist. Inform them that they are legally required to identify themselves and if they still refuse, hang up. Within five days of first contacting you, the collection agency is legally required to send you a verification of the debt you owe. This letter should include the amount of money you owe and the name of the original creditor.  If the agency contacts you over the phone, refuse to talk further until you've received verification of your debt. All you should say is that you want written proof of your debt, and then you should stop talking. If the agency initially contacts you with a letter, write back and demand more information. Remember to send all of your correspondence via certified mail — this will ensure that the agency can't claim that they didn't receive your letters. Talking with a collection agency on the phone can be very nerve-racking. If you'll have trouble remembering all of this information, write down what you'll say and keep it in front of you while you talk to the collector. There isn't much reason to deviate from this script — you won't be disclosing and personal information and all you should really do when speaking to the collector directly is request documents in writing. The less you say the better.  Your script might be something like: "I'm not going to talk with you until I receive a Debt Verification Letter proving you are legally allowed to contact me about this debt." They may ask for your work address to send the letter — do not give them that information. The letter should be sent to your home address or P.O. Box if you have one. Remember the collector is trained in getting you to respond emotionally. If you respond with emotion, they can get you to do things you wouldn't normally do. The more information you give them, the more they have to use against you. If you mention that you are a Christian, they will quote scripture, if you mention you had an illness, they will use it to make you feel guilty. End the phone call after you request written confirmation of your debt. The collector may make threats like he will freeze your assets if you don't pay, but he has no power to do this. In fact, a collector making such a threat has violated federal law.  If the collector fails to send you this statement in writing then the claim is no longer valid. They may also claim that if you don't pay you may go to jail, but owing a debt is not punishable by jail time. It would be beneficial for you to learn the laws that collection agencies must abide by while you wait for the agency's statement in the mail, . All collection agencies are regulated by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). This act bans several practices for collectors. Read this law carefully in preparation for your dealings with the collection agency. By learning the laws, you can counter threats or intimidation by saying that you know the law and the collector's actions are illegal. Among the banned practices are:  Calling you before 8AM or after 9PM (your local time), unless you've agreed otherwise. Using any obscene or abusive language. Contacting you at work if you've requested them to stop. Accusing you of committing a crime. Threatening to take your property without first going through the court system. Remember that even if the agency purchased the debt from the original creditor, it is still considered a collector and not a creditor. It is therefore still bound by the rules of the FDCPA, even if collectors try to tell you otherwise.
Wait before paying anything. Get the agency's information. Demand all information in writing. Prepare a script. Stop communicating with the agency until you receive your bill in writing. Educate yourself on the law regarding collection agencies.