Section 809 of the FDCPA http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre27.pdf requires 3rd-party debt collectors to give debtors written notice of debt (the key word is *shall*) :
"§ 809. Validation of debts
(a) Within five days after the initial communication with a consumer in connection with the collection of any debt, a debt collector shall, unless the following information is contained in the initial communication or the consumer has paid the debt, send the consumer a written notice containing?
(1) the amount of the debt;
(2) the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed;
(3) a statement that unless the consumer, within thirty days after receipt of the notice, disputes the validity of the debt, or any portion thereof, the debt will be assumed to be valid by the debt collector;
(4) a statement that if the consumer notifies the debt collector in writing within the thirty-day period that the debt, or any portion thereof, is disputed, the debt collector will obtain verification of the debt or a copy of a judgment against the consumer and a copy of such verification or judgment will be mailed to the consumer by the debt collector; and
(5) a statement that, upon the consumer?s written request within the thirty-day period, the debt collector will provide the consumer with the name and address of the original creditor, if different from the current creditor."
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A Collection Agent May Not?

Here are the top 11 actions prohibited by the The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act:

Misrepresent Him or Herself

  A debt collector may not misrepresent himself as an attorney or law enforcement officer.

Use the Telephone to Annoy or Harass

  A collection agent may not cause a telephone to ring or engage any person in telephone conversation repeatedly or continuously with an intent to annoy, abuse, or harass anyone at the called number.

Threaten Arrest or Lawsuit

  A collection agent may not threaten a consumer with arrest. It may not threaten legal action that is either not permitted or not actually contemplated. In other words, a the threat of a lawsuit may be an empty one.

Use Abusive or Threatening Language

  A debt collector may no use abusive or profane language in the course of communication related to the debt.

Publish a Bad Debt List

  Publishing the consumer?s name or address on a "bad debt" list is prohibited.

Contact By Embarrassing Media

  A debt collector may not communicate with a consumer by post card. It may not use any language or symbol, other than the debt collector?s address, on any envelope when communicating with a consumer by use of the mails or by telegram. A debt collector may use its business name if such name does not indicate it is in the debt collection business.

Contact a Consumer at Work

  A collection agent may not communicate with consumers at their place of employment after being told this is unacceptable or prohibited by the employer.

Seek Unjustifiable Amounts

  A debt collector may not demand any amounts not permitted under an applicable contract or as provided under law.

Contact a Consumer Represented by an Attorney

  A collection agent may not contact a consumer after it learns the consumer is represented by a lawyer.

Communicate With a Consumer After Receiving a Validation Request

  If a consumer sends a written §1692g response within 30 days, the collection agent may not communicate with the consumer until it mails the consumer the requested verification of original creditor's name and address.

Communicate With Third Parties

  A debt collector may not reveal or discuss the nature of a consumer?s debts with third parties other than the consumer?s spouse or attorney. A collection agent may contact neighbors or co-workers only to obtain location information. It may contact a third party again if it has reason to believe the information the party provided previously is false.

Bills.com FDCPA FAQ

Below are questions Bills.com readers ask frequently:

Can a Collection Agent Call My Cell Phone?

  Yes. However, if you tell the debt collector it may not use that number because it is a cell phone, it may not contact you again at that number.

I Keep Receiving Dozens of Calls From Collection Agents. Is That Legal?

  No. Unscrupulous collection agents will use "block parties" or "office parties" where they contact a consumer, multiple neighbors, or co-workers telling them they need to reach the consumer on an urgent matter. This is not permitted under the FDCPA.

A Collector Says I Will Be Arrested if I Do Not Pay

  This was a true statement before the US Civil War, but has not been true since. People may be arrested if an aggressive judge files a bench warrant for a person who does not appear at a hearing relating to a lawsuit regarding a debt. However, in that case, the offense is the failure to respond to a court order, and not the existence of the debt. As stated above, it is illegal under the FDCPA to threaten a consumer with arrest if the consumer does not pay the debt.

Please do file reports with the FBI, your state attorney general and Department Of Justice,FTC & FCC..

http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
http://www.fbi.gov/
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/
https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form1088.action
https://complaints.donotcall.gov/complaint/complaintcheck.aspx?panel=2

Also read up on the laws and your rights:

http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpajump.shtm
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/search ...
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0096-fair-credit-reporting-act.pdf

And see:

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors
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http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/pressreleases/extortion_scam.htm

x_x REALLY? You do realize that when you sell a vehicle, it is up to the new owner to transfer the title, right? When you sell the car, he should be supplied with a deed of sale and it is up to the both of you to get the title in the right name.

Because maybe you were in Texas at one time? Or maybe someone who moved to Texas had your old NYC number?

This is not rocket science folks.

Not me ---- all the notices I get are with pictures from the day I ran the tolls. Second notices usually have the same picture as the original notice I received though,

I would actually like to see images for each toll that I run on the same day.

BTW Texas has ALWAYS sucked.

It is irrelevant whether or not you have ever lived in Texas. If they are contacting you at your phone number and asking to speak with you (ex: they call your number and ask for you by using YOUR full name) then it is not a mistake. You either A) Were visiting, or driving through Texas, B) Someone is using your name and vehicle information to run tolls in Texas. People need to realize that these agencies do not pull information from a hat.

Where are you from where these rules would apply? Clearly you don't even have the good sense to use proper spelling of preschool words. You can't split the amount of an invoice between yourself and a lawyer, that bill is owed to NTTA, simply because Southwest has the wrong phone number for a debtor does not mean you get to sue. Further, while she may be able to send a certified letter to cease and desist further contact (noting that she is not the debtor and she is not associated, nor does she have knowledge of the debtor) as long as she has proof of this communication and assuming the agency abides by the cease-and-desist, there is no base for a lawsuit because it isn't harassment. Now, if the continue to call her 30 days following confirmation of receipt of the letter (on their part) then it may be harassment and she can file a complaint.

Received a call from this number left no message not sure why they would call me as the $12 I incur I always pay ontime via the ntta.org.  I don't want them to start harassing me for no reason.

Got calls from this number several times the past 2 months.  They never left a message and I never called back. If they are calling about NTTA tolls in Texas, I have never been to Texas nor have I ever been to any toll roads.  Not sure what they want since they never leave messages. Does not annoy me since I keep my phone ringer off and legitmate businessess leave messages. I guess southwest creditor is the one being annoyed since I never answer and never call back. By the way the only outstanding bills I have are with the IRS which I have a payment plan with. IRS don't uses collection agencies.

I'm so UPSET!!! I am awear my husband owned on a toll tag. I called to Settle the accts I was talk down to when I asked for a sup many times!!! Trying To pay a bill I asked the 2 women to STOP over talking me it was rude! They Hung up on me!!!! Remind you trying to pay my bill! When a sup got on the phone she Over talked me I reminded her how rude! I told her about I was written a letter to the atty generals office to their strict or of oops an contacting CFBB I wk for a law office of collections an they r very unperfetional. I SEND MY PAYMENT UP WITH A CREDIT CARD TO PROSSES ON FRIDAY!!! The PROSSED IT THAT DAY MAKING ME OVER DRAFT MY ACCT!!!!!!!! Really!!!!!!  I Contacted them back an they where even more rude I reminded them to voice track my calls the sup was so rude I contacted the client now we will see what happens .... I'll let u know DONT let the get by treating you in fair there is a new law in town that protects us with rude colliton agency u can personal sue the rep on phone talking down to u an agancey the CFBB shuts down agency's like this u can also complane to the client that sold or hireded the debt Ty Mrs. McCall

number keeps calling me but they do not leave a message, and I have no idea who these people are!

These guys are calling for someone who hasn't had this number in over 10 years. It's obvious they don't care about the accuracy of the data they are using for collections.

Just had my number changed though my local telephone company and dont know just how long this current number has been out of service but i get calls from this number and when i called it back it answered Southwesteren Credit Systems in which i believe it is from a debt collector and i know they arent calling for me for i dont owe nothing on credit , Just saying !

Hey, R Carter, if you're out there, these guys are calling my work line looking for you.   LOL.

Wow. Sorry all of you have had such crappy experiences with this number. So far, all I've had are three calls, 3 days apart, all between 8:30 and 9:00 in the morning. Each time I've happened to miss the call, and they don't leave me a message. So either they're not set on trying to put debt on me that I do NOT owe, or my voicemail keeps hanging them up. Dunno, but hope it stays this way!

No message, cos i just hang up on 2nd ring for any CallerId="800 SERV"

They just called me and when i answered they asked if they could speak to bobby. I don't know anyone with the name bobby! why do they keep calling me?

They called here lookiong for my 24 year old son. Apparently he owed for some tolls. Don't know why when he has a toll tag.
Anyway, the car was still in my name (way to go American aIRLINES cREDIT uNION..DUMBASSES didn't transfer the title when he bougt the car last September).
Anyway the guy proceeded to tell me the amount owed was $647.00 and did I want to pay with a credit card or check by phone?  I told him that's BS and no, we weren't going to pay these a***oles anything. We would take it up with NTTA- which is what my son did for less than $25.00.
IGNORE these a***s, but if they are calling you, call NTTA or the other 121 toll guys (don't recall who they are) and take it up with then directly. If you have a toll tag it may have an issue & that's why you're being charged.
I told this lick knob to never call here again since my son doesn't live here and I do NOT own the car or owe any debt.  He hasn't called since.

These a--holes are calling for past due tolls on Texas highways. For a few missed tolls they are saying he owes over $600! Yeah, right.

I like a few others had a better experience with these people. They had been calling my house number and when I called them back and spoke with a rep. I told them the person they were trying to reach no longer lives at this number (the debt belongs to my ex-roommate) and she said she would remove the number so we'll see what happens with that.

To those who have had problems with this company Im sorry you've had to deal with rude representatives. Since I have an automated tolltag I've never had any issues with NTTA excePt for once. The one time I did our billing information had expired and they billed it at the cash rate  so when they sent us a letter we called them up and they cleared the debt when they saw we fixed the error online. It seems now that the NTTA has gone cashless the penalties are a lot harsher so if your having issues with them call NTTA directly and they will often or will reduce the amount. Plus express your opinions to them about Southwest and their business practices.

They call daily;  i dont have answerer turned on

No message; I've turned off answerer
But, if this is a for a toll account in Texas, why do they call a NYC number??

Collecting fo NTTA folks, do your home work.... The NTTA said I owed $3500 in fines. I file all my paid bills and I couldn't find the ones they said I didn't pay. But I found them after weeks of trying to figure out. They changed the invoice numbers and billed me again along with these crazy fines. I sued them in court.............Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...$$$$$$$$$$$$$

NTTA is a scam fully supported by Rick Perry the candidate and the rest of the corrupt Texas State government.
Everyone should be entitled to pay as they go and NTTA refuses to allow this.  Plus they send a generic pic, the same pic for multiple violations according to NTTA.
NTTA refuses to send a new original picture for each violation, instead choosing to use the same exact pic for alleged violations.
Texas has turned for the worse.

They call once a week ---So this is for collections in Texas --- I dont live anywhere near TX

I called and pressed zero for the operator.  Gave him my number.   It wasn't me they asked for...this is actually a my business number.   The customer service rep said sorry for the trouble he would remove the number.  Pretty nice

Bam done...or we will see

Southwest credit --- i dont live anywhere near Texas; they call for some woman

No message, as the answering machine is off;  how do they violate the DoNotCall List?

So this is Southwest Credit Svcs?  There was a message when i left the answering machine on, looking for "Brenda"  I'm not Brenda,  and these scavenger debt collectors just pass the account from one agency to another, without checking.

southwest credit called me and informed me that i had unpaid toll charges. when i asked them to verify my address, they as well as ntta had the incorrect street number. i told them that i always paid my toll fees. they made it appear as nothing at all could be worked out and that i could end up in court. they also said that i could no longer work it out with ntta since the bill was in their office now. but i sucked it up and made a postdated payment arrangement. mind you the fee for a $9.24 bill went up to $159.24. so after i set up that postdated arrangement, i contacted ntta directly. in less than 5 minutes, they allowed me to pay the $9.24 and recognized that they had the wrong street address. they told me to call and cancel the postdated arrangement with southwest credit. by the time i called southwest credit, their system had been updated and my account was cancelled. call ntta first no matter what they say!

they call - and leave a vm that is just garbled enough that you can't clearly hear who they say they are.. but miraculously you hear /understand the 'reference" # ... "urgent matter"? they need to talk with you about ...you bet .....
I called back using * 67 feature .. garbled again when phone is answered automated
I am lucky enough to have "add to reject list " option on c-phone ... no more wasting my time : )

This is a collector hired by a car company or bank - they call me daily - it is an answering machine only. My ex husband and his girlfriend defaulted on their car, got it repo'ed and now they are calling everyone he knows trying to find him. Even if you answer there is no person to talk to - it asks you to call them back at blah with reference number blah.