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What Debt Collectors Cannot Say to You — A Practical List \| iFightDebt.com

iFightDebt · Maryland Consumer Defense

What Debt Collectors Cannot Say to You — A Practical List

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The most frightening things a collector says are often the illegal ones. Here are the lines they cannot cross in Maryland — and what to do the moment one does.

By Amir Guerami, The Guerami Law Firm, LLC  ·  Posted June 24, 2026

The Voice on the Phone Is Not Above the Law

The phone rings again — the fifth call today. The voice says you will be arrested by Friday, that they have already spoken to your boss, that a sheriff is on the way. Your stomach drops, and you wonder if you should empty your savings just to make it stop.

Named plainly: relentless collection calls can cost you your job, your peace, and money you may not even owe — and most people endure it because they assume the collector is allowed to behave this way. Often, they are not. Many of the most frightening things a debt collector says are flatly illegal, and the law turns those threats into your leverage.

This is a practical list of what a debt collector cannot say or do to you in Maryland — and what to do the moment one crosses the line.

“A collector who threatens to jail you over a credit-card bill is not enforcing the law — he is breaking it.”

Two Laws Stand Between You and the Collector

You are not facing the collector alone. Two laws set hard limits on how a debt can be collected.

The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) governs third-party debt collectors and debt buyers — the companies that call about an account they bought or were hired to collect. Maryland’s Consumer Debt Collection Act (MCDCA) reaches even further: it applies to original creditors too, so the bank or lender you first borrowed from is bound by it as well.

Both laws have teeth. A collector who violates them can be made to pay you — actual damages, statutory damages, and, in many cases, your attorney’s fees. That last part matters: it means a strong case can be pursued without the harassment costing you more.

What a Collector Cannot Do — Start Here

Some collector tactics are not aggressive negotiating. They are violations. A debt collector cannot:

• Threaten to have you arrested or jailed. There is no debtors’ prison for consumer debt in Maryland — no one can lock you up over a credit card, a medical bill, or a personal loan.
• Threaten violence, or use obscene, profane, or abusive language.
• Call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., or call over and over to annoy, harass, or wear you down.
• Call you at work after you have told them to stop.
• Tell your boss, your neighbors, or your family about the debt. With narrow exceptions, what you owe is not theirs to announce.
• Lie about who they are — posing as a lawyer, a court, a credit bureau, or a government agency.
• Lie about the debt — inflating the amount, or threatening a lawsuit, garnishment, or arrest they cannot or do not intend to carry out.
• Keep contacting you after you ask them in writing to stop, or after you tell them you have a lawyer.

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The Collector May End Up Owing You Under the FDCPA, a collector who breaks the rules can owe you up to $1,000 in statutory damages on top of your actual losses — plus your attorney’s fees. Maryland’s MCDCA, paired with the state Consumer Protection Act, can add damages for the harm the harassment caused, including emotional distress. The call that scared you can become the case that holds them accountable.

Three Things To Do This Week

1\. Write down every call

Keep a simple log: the date, the time, the number, the name they gave, and exactly what was said. Save voicemails and screenshot text messages. In a harassment case, that record is the evidence — and collectors count on you not keeping it.

2\. Put your request in writing — and do not pay to make it stop

You can demand in writing that a collector stop contacting you, and you can ask them to “validate” the debt — to prove it is yours and that the amount is right.

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Do not pay or promise to pay just to silence the calls. In Maryland, a fresh payment or a written promise on an old debt can _restart the clock_ on the statute of limitations and revive a debt you could have defeated.

3\. Have a Maryland consumer attorney review it

Bring your call log, any letters, and your account records to a Maryland consumer attorney. Because these laws often shift the legal fees onto the collector, holding an abusive collector accountable may cost far less than you fear — and it can stop the calls for good.

The Bottom Line

The voice on the phone is selling fear because fear works. But the law drew bright lines around what a collector may say, and a collector who crosses them is the one now exposed. Learn the lines, write down each time one is crossed, and the call that kept you up at night becomes the leverage that ends it.

This article is for general educational purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Maryland law changes, and every case turns on its own facts. If you or someone you love needs honest guidance on bankruptcy, debt settlement, creditor harassment, and collection defense, speak with a Maryland consumer attorney about your specific situation before making any decisions.

Contact The Guerami Law Firm, LLC through www.ifightdebt.com for a confidential consultation with Amir Guerami and his team.