What to Say (and Not Say) to a Debt Collector

When a debt collector calls, keep the conversation short and controlled: ask who they are, what they claim you owe, and demand a written validation notice before you agree to anything. Knowing what to say to a debt collector — and, just as important, what to leave unsaid — is the difference between protecting your rights under federal law and handing the collector leverage they would not otherwise have. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and its implementing rule, Regulation F, give you the right to demand proof of the debt, limit how and when you are contacted, and stop communication in writing.¹

One boundary to note up front. These rights apply to third-party debt collectors — collection agencies, debt buyers, and attorneys who regularly collect debts.² If your original creditor is calling on its own account, the FDCPA’s specific scripts and remedies below generally do not apply to that call, though state laws may.

What to Say on the First Call

Your goal on the first call is simple: get information, give almost none, and make no commitments. Assume everything you say may be used to pressure you later or restart a legal clock.

Start by pinning down who is calling. Say: “Before we go any further, I need your full name, the name of your collection agency, your mailing address, and a callback number.” Then ask for the name of the original creditor and the current balance, including any interest or fees added since the account was placed for collection. Getting a specific number on record matters, because collectors are prohibited from misrepresenting how much you owe.³

You do need to confirm you are the person they are looking for. Give your name and current mailing address. Stop there. If pressed for more, a clean exit line works: “I am not confirming or denying this debt today. Please send me a written validation notice, and I will review it.”

What Not to Say

A few things belong nowhere in a collection call, even in passing.

Do not say “yes, that’s my debt” or “I know I owe it.” Acknowledging the debt on the phone can be used against you and, on older debts, may restart the statute of limitations in many states.⁴
Do not agree to any payment amount, payment plan, or “good faith” payment on the first call. A single small payment on an old account can reset the clock the collector uses to sue you.
Do not hand over your Social Security number, date of birth, bank account number, debit card PIN, or employer information.⁵
Do not give a new bank or card number over the phone to “resolve this today.” Once you have verified the debt in writing, you can pay through channels you control.

Ask for a Validation Notice

Every debt collector must send you a written validation notice either with their first communication or within five days of it.⁶ If you have not received one, ask on the call: “I am requesting a written validation notice for this debt. Send it to the mailing address I gave you.”

The notice must show the original creditor as of the itemization date, the current creditor if different, your account number (or a truncated version), and the current balance. It must also give an itemization from a specific reference date — such as the last statement date, charge-off date, or last payment date — with a breakdown of interest, fees, payments, and credits since then.⁷ A tear-off section for disputing the debt or requesting the original creditor’s name and address should be included.

You have 30 days from receiving the notice to dispute the debt or request more information in writing. If you do nothing during that window, the collector may treat the debt as valid, though you can still raise defenses later.⁶

How to Dispute the Debt in Writing

Saying “I dispute this” on the phone is not enough. The FDCPA’s stop-collection protection only kicks in if your dispute is in writing.⁶

The letter can be short. Something like: “I am writing to dispute the debt referenced in your notice dated [date], account number [number]. I do not believe this debt is valid [or: the amount is incorrect]. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1692g, I request verification of this debt. Do not contact me further about this account until you have provided it.” Send it by certified mail with a return receipt so you have proof of delivery.

Once the collector receives your written dispute within the 30-day window, they must stop collecting on the disputed amount until they mail you verification, such as a statement from the original creditor or a copy of a court judgment.⁶ Continued calls or payment demands before that verification are a federal violation.

Telling a Collector When and How They Can Contact You

You control the channel and the hours.

Time of Day

Calls before 8:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m. in your local time zone are presumed inconvenient.⁸ If a narrower window works for you, say so: “I am only available between [time] and [time]. Do not call me outside that window.” Once you have said it, the collector is on notice and must comply.

Calls at Work

If your job does not permit personal calls, tell the collector: “My employer prohibits me from receiving these calls. Do not call me at my workplace.” A verbal instruction is enough to bar further work calls, though a follow-up letter strengthens your record.⁸

Call Frequency

Regulation F sets a concrete harassment threshold. A collector is presumed to be harassing you if they call more than seven times in seven consecutive days about the same debt, or call within seven days after actually speaking with you about it.⁹ If the calls keep coming, you can say: “You already spoke with me this week. Under Regulation F, you are not permitted to call me again within seven days of our last conversation. I am documenting this call.”

Email, Text, and Social Media

Regulation F lets collectors reach you by email and text, subject to the same 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. window based on when the message is sent.¹⁰ Every electronic message must include a simple opt-out, and using it cannot cost you a fee or require extra information beyond your preference.

Social media contact must be through private message, never through public posts, comments, or anything your contacts can see, and the collector must identify themselves as a debt collector when they reach out.¹¹ A collector who posts about your debt where anyone else can see it is violating the rule.

How to Say “Stop Contacting Me”

To cut off communication entirely, send a cease-communication letter. Federal law requires this request to be in writing to be enforceable.⁸ Keep it plain: “I am writing to request that you cease all communication with me regarding [account number / creditor name]. This letter is sent pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1692c(c).” Send it certified with return receipt.

After the collector receives your letter, they may only contact you to confirm they are stopping collection, to say they or the creditor may pursue a specific legal remedy they ordinarily use, or to say they intend to pursue a specific legal remedy such as a lawsuit.⁸ Anything else is a violation. Log every call, letter, or message that arrives after the letter is delivered.p>

Understand the trade-off before sending one. A cease letter does not erase the debt. The collector can still report it to credit bureaus and can still sue. In some cases, cutting off the phone accelerates a lawsuit because it becomes the collector’s only remaining option. Cease letters work best when you have already disputed the debt, when the debt is time-barred, or when the contact has crossed into harassment.

What to Say About an Old Debt

Every state sets a statute of limitations on how long a collector has to sue you. Once that period expires, the debt is time-barred, and Regulation F flatly prohibits a collector from suing you or threatening to sue you to collect it.¹² The collector can still ask you to pay voluntarily, but the courts are off the table.

If a caller threatens a lawsuit on a debt you think is too old, say: “I believe the statute of limitations on this debt has expired. You are prohibited from suing me or threatening to sue me to collect it.”

Watch the words that come next. A partial payment or a written acknowledgment that you owe an old debt can restart the statute of limitations in many states and give the collector a fresh window to sue.⁴ Confirm your state’s limitations period before paying anything, even a small amount.

Signs You Are Talking to a Scam Caller

Not every collection call is real. Impersonators lean on fear and speed. Watch for:

Threats that you will be arrested or criminally charged for an unpaid consumer debt. A legitimate collector will not say this.
Refusal to give you the collector’s name, company, mailing address, and callback number.
Demands for your Social Security number, full bank account number, or debit card PIN before they will tell you anything about the debt.⁵
Pressure to pay by wire transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency, or to pay “right now” before you can verify anything.

If any of these show up, hang up. You lose nothing by ending the call and asking for a written validation notice — a real collector is required to provide one, and a scammer will not.

Prohibited Conduct You Can Call Out

Collectors are barred from threatening violence against you or your property, using obscene language, or calling repeatedly to annoy or harass you.¹³ They cannot publish your name on a “deadbeat” list or advertise your debt to pressure you. They cannot claim to be affiliated with a government agency, misstate the balance, or threaten consequences they cannot legally impose — for example, saying you will be arrested for a consumer debt, or threatening wage garnishment when they have no intention or legal ability to seek it.³

You can name the violation on the call: “That statement is prohibited under the FDCPA. I am documenting this call.” Then end the conversation.

If the Collector Breaks the Rules

Document every interaction. Note the date, the time, who you spoke with, and what was said. Save every letter, email, voicemail, and text.

You can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov/complaint or by calling (855) 411-2372. The CFPB forwards complaints to the collection agency and generally expects a response within 15 days.¹⁴ Complaints can also go to the Federal Trade Commission and your state attorney general.

You can also sue. If you win an FDCPA suit, you can recover actual damages — such as lost wages or fees you paid on a debt you did not owe — plus up to $1,000 in additional statutory damages per lawsuit, and the court can order the collector to pay your attorney’s fees and costs.¹⁵ In a class action, total statutory damages for class members other than the named plaintiffs are capped at the lesser of $500,000 or 1% of the collector’s net worth. Because the statute lets prevailing consumers recover attorney’s fees from the collector, many consumer-rights lawyers take FDCPA cases on contingency.

1
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1692a – Definitions
2
Cornell Law Institute. Heintz v Jenkins, 514 US 291 (1995)
3
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1692e – False or Misleading Representations
4
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Can Debt Collectors Collect a Debt That’s Several Years Old
5
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Do I Tell if a Debt Collector Is Legitimate or a Scam
6
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1692g – Validation of Debts
7
eCFR. 12 CFR 1006.34 – Notice for Validation of Debts
8
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1692c – Communication in Connection With Debt Collection
9
eCFR. 12 CFR 1006.14 – Harassing, Oppressive, or Abusive Conduct
10
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 12 CFR Part 1006 – Regulation F, Section 1006.6
11
eCFR. 12 CFR Part 1006 – Debt Collection Practices (Regulation F), Section 1006.22
12
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 12 CFR 1006.26 – Collection of Time-Barred Debts
13
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1692d – Harassment or Abuse
14
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Submit a Complaint
15
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1692k – Civil Liability