Keeping pace with the record number of people defaulting on bills due to the economic downturn, debt collection activity is on the rise. If you have bills that have defaulted and are now in collection, you have a lot of company... Chances are you are being contacted by one or more debt collection companies. In this brief article we are going to discuss what you can do to stop the debt collection calls and set yourself on the path to economic recovery.

When you are unable to pay past credit card balances, gym membership fees, etc., often these accounts are defaulted and turned over to a debt collection companies. Some of the nation's more active debt collection companies include Takhar group, Portfolio Recovery Associates, NCO Financial, GCS, Allied Interstate, among many others.

Debt collection companies weapon of choice to collection on defaulted debts is the telephone. If they have your number, they will use it. It is not uncommon for a debtor to receive over 100 calls in a two-month period or daily calls. Sometimes debtors are called multiple times a day. These calls are often made with an automated dialer machine that will actually put you on hold to receive the call. Other times the computer dialer calls will just leave you a message demanding a return call. Either way, what you should be aware of is that debt collection calls can amount to harassment - very easily. The most common form of debt collection harassment is by way of excessive telephone calls. It does not matter if they are just ringing your number and hanging up before you answer or just ringing your number but not leaving your message, etc. Of course the worst is when you pick up the phone and they hound you about your unpaid bills every day or every other day as if they expect you to win the lottery at any moment and magically be in the position to pay off your debt!

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) prohibits a debt collection company from harassing debtors by use of the phone or otherwise. Activity that can amount to telephone harassment includes the making of excessive telephone calls, calling before 8:00am or after 9:00pm, failing to identify the caller, failing to send written verification of the debt within five days after first contacting you by phone, and making any threats or misrepresentation regarding the debt.

The good news is that you can STOP DEBT COLLECTORS harassment. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) allows victims of such harassment to collect up to $1,000 in damages (for excessive calls, etc.) Further, the Act allows you to recover your attorney's fees. So there is nothing scary about contacting an attorney. Your attorney's fees will not come out of the possible $1,000 you can collect as a victim of debt collector harassment. There are Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) attorneys that will take your case on a contingency-fee basis, if you don't get money, there are no attorney fees collected or paid. It is that simple. You only stand to put money in your pocket. The federal law was designed so that people in debt and being harassed would actually be able to get an attorney to assert their rights.