Well, it's primarily the FDCPA which offers that legal shield, and a collection of weapons too, like that $1K damage award cap you've cited. FDCPA was enacted 36 years ago. The CFPB and Dodd-Frank are the new kids on the scene.

Merely failing to validate does not violate the FDCPA. The request for proof must be made timely, and once that's done the agency has to keep quiet *until it sends* validation. Many agencies slink away without validating and never return, which is their choice.

The phrase "class action" looks good in print, but remember that many creditor contracts won't allow them, they are killed easily for too much "claim diversity", and the ones which finally get the green light turn into showboating cash grabs for the lawyers. If you have solid claims you might get where you're going sooner through individual action.

No, this web site helps people share what they know about "these harassing callers". What you're suggesting is not possible. If a debt collector wants to "look up and find you", there are plenty of databases tracking our financial footprints they can use.

http://800notes.com/nb/about.aspx

Thank you all for posting this! I have received the same issue, they called my work!! I did some research and they are in violation of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.  This gives us legal protection from a collector using unfair deceptive or abusive acts.  The second that they used profanity or released personal information about you to a third party made them in violation of the law. They are REQUIRED to send you written notification upon your request. Failure to do so puts them in VOILATION again. YOU can sue them for up to $1000.  I would like get a group together to do a class action suit against companies like this.

Please read the following: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/blog/debtcollection/ and http://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/336/wh ... -collector.html

Thank you, I am actually heading to the police department.

This is an Invalid number..  Looked  it  up on Phone number search..  I  think  this web site is for these harassing  callers  to  look  up and   find  you..

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, is warning consumers to be on the alert for scam artists posing as debt collectors. It may be hard to tell the difference between a legitimate debt collector and a fake one. Sometimes a fake collector may even have some of your personal information, like a bank account number. A caller may be a fake debt collector if he:

?is seeking payment on a debt for a loan you do not recognize;
?refuses to give you a mailing address or phone number;
?asks you for personal financial or sensitive information; or
?exerts high pressure to try to scare you into paying, such as threatening to have you arrested or to report you to a law enforcement agency.

If you think that a caller may be a fake debt collector:

?Ask the caller for his name, company, street address, and telephone number. Tell the caller that you refuse to discuss any debt until you get a written "validation notice." The notice must include the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor you owe, and your rights under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
If a caller refuses to give you all of this information, do not pay! Paying a fake debt collector will not always make them go away. They may make up another debt to try to get more money from you.?Stop speaking with the caller. If you have the caller's address, send a letter demanding that the caller stop contacting you, and keep a copy for your files. By law, real debt collectors must stop calling you if you ask them to in writing.
?Do not give the caller personal financial or other sensitive information. Never give out or confirm personal financial or other sensitive information like your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number unless you know whom you're dealing with. Scam artists, like fake debt collectors, can use your information to commit identity theft ? charging your existing credit cards, opening new credit card, checking, or savings accounts, writing fraudulent checks, or taking out loans in your name.
?Contact your creditor. If the debt is legitimate ? but you think the collector may not be ? contact your creditor about the calls. Share the information you have about the suspicious calls and find out who, if anyone, the creditor has authorized to collect the debt.
?Report the call. Contact the FTC and your state Attorney General's office with information about suspicious callers. Many states have their own debt collection laws in addition to the federal FDCPA. Your Attorney General's office can help you determine your rights under your state's law.

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors

Called my job, both of my cell phones, my sister, and my husband...guy says his name is Ray Lawson and he has to serve me with paperwork. I asked for his address and where they were located, he says Hudson County and that he is located in JC. When I ask him for the street address, he then starts telling me that he won't give me his street address but that they will come to my house in Jersey City. I told him that if I need to be served, then so be it, I will present myself to a judge not to him. Today, the calls begin again.

Got a call from this number saying they have two counts of fraud against me. They gave me number, ext, and case number. I tried calling got an answering machine, didn't leave message. He called back again about 2hr say he did not get email telling that I resolved matter saying that If I wanted too, I could handle matter through him after telling me the first time I talked to him, that he was not allowed to discuss the matter. I told him that he could call my lawyer and discuss the matter with him, caller became hostile, cussing me and hung up on me

told me they had 2 summons and to call back.

Just got call from amber telling me I showed up as relative of someone named Latoya! Told her not and she was not getting info.  Hung up! Beware!

Caller called my job left detailed message that I was going to be served by a sheriff and a processor.. When advised that my employer has reported them to authorities they started cussing hung up

Called restricted to my mom and left this phone number to call back and case number. Told to ask for Amber Bailey.