Your phone buzzes for the seventh time since Monday. Same number, no voicemail, and you are starting to dread the screen lighting up.
Short answer: Federal rules limit how often, when and how a debt collector can contact you. A collector is presumed to be within the law if it calls no more than seven times in seven days about a debt, and not within seven days after talking to you about it. Calls before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. are generally off limits. If a collector breaks the rules you can complain to the CFPB or sue within one year.
Those numbers come from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s debt collection rule (Regulation F). The rule sets a presumption: stay under the limit and the collector is presumed compliant. It does not say that one extra call is automatically illegal, which is why a written log matters more than a feeling that they call too much.
What collectors can and cannot do
| Situation | What the rules say |
|---|---|
| Time of day | Generally not before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., or at times they know are inconvenient |
| Call volume | Presumed fine at 7 calls in 7 days per debt, and none within 7 days after a conversation |
| Your workplace | Not allowed if they know or have reason to know your employer bans personal calls |
| Texts and email | Allowed unless you ask them to stop, and must include an easy opt-out |
| Social media | No public posts about your debt; private messages allowed unless you object |
| Threats and abuse | Threats of violence, obscene language and published lists of supposed non-payers count as harassment |
Sources: CFPB, CFPB Regulation F.
If they ring your job, read what you can do in our guide to collectors calling your employer, and if a garnishment is part of the picture, see whether you can be fired for it.
Stopping contact: the trade-off
You can tell a collector in writing to stop contacting you. The CFPB suggests certified mail with a return receipt so you have proof of delivery, and keeping a copy (CFPB). Here is what most guides leave out: after your letter, the collector can still tell you it will take other legal steps, such as suing. The debt does not disappear.
If you dispute the debt in writing within 30 days of getting the validation notice, the collector must pause collection until it provides verification (CFPB). Our guide on the debt validation letter shows how to ask. For many people that does more than a stop-contact letter.
When they cross the line
- Keep a log: date, time, number, who called, what they said.
- Screenshot texts and emails, and save voicemails.
- Send a written dispute or stop request and keep proof of delivery.
- File a complaint with the CFPB and your state attorney general.
- If you want to sue, talk to a consumer-law attorney quickly. The deadline is one year from the violation.
In a suit under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act you can recover your actual losses plus up to $1,000 in additional damages, and the court can order the collector to cover your attorney fees if you win (15 U.S.C. 1692k). Check whether the collector is already suing you: our guide on whether a collector can sue you shows what that looks like.
The things you’re probably wondering
They called my cousin and told her about my debt. Is that legal?
Collectors can’t harass anyone in connection with a debt, and the CFPB’s rule lists conduct such as threats, abusive language and publishing lists of people who supposedly refuse to pay as harassment (CFPB Regulation F). Write down who was called, when and what was said, then read our guide on collectors who call your employer.
Can they call me at 6am?
No. Collectors are generally barred from contacting you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., and from calling at other times they know are inconvenient (CFPB). If a call is inconvenient, say so and they must end it.
Can they text me or message me on Facebook?
They can contact you privately by text, email or social media unless you ask them to stop, but they can’t post about your debt publicly, and electronic messages must include a simple way to opt out (CFPB).
I sent a letter telling them to stop. Is the debt gone?
No. Stopping contact doesn’t cancel the debt. After the letter they can only tell you there will be no more contact or say they plan another step, such as suing (CFPB). Think about that before you send it.
Can I really sue a debt collector?
Yes. In an individual case you can recover actual losses plus extra damages of up to $1,000, and if you win the court can order the collector to pay your attorney’s fees (15 U.S.C. 1692k). The suit must be filed within one year of the violation, so keep a call log from day one.
Where do I complain if I can’t afford a lawyer?
The CFPB suggests filing a complaint with the CFPB and contacting your state attorney general’s office, since states have their own collection laws (CFPB). Our know your rights tool walks you through the first steps.
Disclaimer: DebtShift is an educational platform operated by H Ali Logistics Ltd. This article is general education, not legal or financial advice. For free, nonprofit credit counseling, contact the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) at nfcc.org or 877-360-6322.
Sources
- CFPB, What laws limit what debt collectors can say or do?
- CFPB, How do I get a debt collector to stop calling or contacting me?
- CFPB, Regulation F, 1006.14 Harassing, oppressive, or abusive conduct
- U.S. Code, 15 U.S.C. 1692k, Civil liability
Last reviewed October 2026
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