General information to help you ask better questions — not legal advice. Debt-collection rules vary by country (the patterns below draw on common protections like the US FDCPA); look up your local rules or a free advice service. Specific hour limits (e.g. before 8am / after 9pm) are US examples — check yours.
Tick what the collector is doing
The read
What to do
- Write everything down. A log of every call — date, time, who called, and what they said — plus any letters, turns "my word against theirs" into a case. Ask them to communicate in writing.
- Demand validation — your right. Soon after first contact you can request, in writing, proof of the debt: who the original creditor is, the amount, and that it's really yours. A legitimate collector provides it; refusal is a red flag. See Do You Even Owe This?
- You can make them stop. In many places a written "stop contacting me" letter requires a collector to stop calling (they can still sue, but the harassment ends). It doesn't erase the debt — it buys you room. Send it; keep a copy.
- Don't pay or admit to an old or unfamiliar debt yet. Paying — or even acknowledging — a very old debt can restart the clock and revive it. Verify first. See Do You Even Owe This?
- Know it's often illegal. Threats of arrest, lies, shaming you to others, abusive language, or contacting you after you said stop — these break debt-collection law in many places, and you may be able to report it and even recover damages.
- Report it + get free help. A consumer-protection agency, regulator, or attorney general takes these complaints (search "[your country/region] debt collection complaint"). Nonprofit credit counseling and legal aid help for free — avoid "debt relief" firms charging big upfront fees.