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Baltimore, Md. (InvestigateTV) — Debt collection calls are on the rise, and consumer advocates warn that collectors are becoming more aggressive – sometimes calling at all hours.
Maryland resident Quiana Blake experienced the relentless pressure firsthand.
“I mean, the calls can be ridiculous. They just call in at all times on a day; they just want the money,” Blake said. “And they don’t care what time they call you.”
Her debt began mounting after her divorce in 2020.
“I was trying to figure out how to navigate through what was mine, what was his, and separate it, and I went from two incomes to one, but just around the same amount of bills,” she said.
The strain added up quickly to about $40,000 in credit card debt with interest rates between 22% and 27%. To stay afloat, she created a color-coded Excel spreadsheet to track balances, due dates, and minimum payments.
“I had track of what my balances was, what my payments was and when they were due and it was kinda in order. Cause how else would I manage it. It was so many,” Blake said.
But the constant phone calls, she said, took a toll.
“I would say it stresses you out. It almost makes you kind of want to comply,” Blake said. “The more aggressive ones you want to tend to pay first. Because you know, they’re gonna call you.”
Debt collection complaints surge
Blake’s story reflects a national trend: millions of Americans are facing mounting debt and relentless collection calls. While legitimate debt collectors have a legal right to contact consumers, experts told InvestigateTV many still blur the line between persistence and harassment.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) makes it illegal for collectors to harass or threaten consumers when trying to collect on a debt. They’re also barred from threatening consumers with violence, using obscene language or repeatedly calling someone with the intent to annoy.
Yet complaints are climbing. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) data show collection reports jumped from 219,000 in 2024 to more than 278,000 so far this year – an increase of roughly 27 percent.
Of those reports, 41 percent of consumers said they were called about debts they didn’t owe, or described the calls as abusive and threatening. According to the FTC, many end up paying money they don’t actually owe, pushing them deeper into debt.
“They think that because the person is coming off aggressive, they feel threatened. They feel like I have to make a decision at this moment. And that’s just really not the case,” said Naomi Peden, senior housing counselor with Money Management International.
With more than 20 years of experience, Peden said consumers must know how to separate legitimate collectors from scams.
“The first thing that I always tell people is initially, before you make any arrangements, any agreements with anybody, you ask them to send you a validation of the debt in writing,” Peden said. “I’m not talking to you. I’m not going to engage in any kind of conversations with you until I can validate that one.”
According to the FDCPA: “it is unlawful to design, compile, and furnish any form knowing that such form would be used to create the false belief in a consumer that a person other than the creditor of such consumers is participating in the collection of or in an attempt to collect a debt such consumer allegedly owes such creditor, when in fact such person is not so participating.
InvestigateTV combed through more than 15,000 consumer complaints filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) over the past 10 years.
Many involved repeated or harassing calls about credit cards, medical bills, auto or payday loans. One consumer wrote: “Repeatedly calling a family member to get me to call them back even though I’ve requested they remove that phone number three different times. They also call me over 21 times since XX/XX/XXXX. They call from an unknown number and then a normal number and then a blocked number again to make it seem like its not them.”
Another reported: “Over the span of two weeks, I have received 26 calls to my cell phone from a debt collection company by the name XXXXX My phone automatically rejects calls from this company but keeps a record of calls rejected. It is my understanding that it is in clear violation to make multiple calls to a number in a 24 hour period in an effort to collect a debt.”
When collectors cross the line
Consumer attorney and law professor Danny Karon recently settled a case for $7.5 million against debt collectors accused of deceptive practices.
“I think under CFPB rules, more than seven [calls] in a week is considered excessive,” Karon said.
He emphasized that while collectors can pursue debts, they must follow the law.
“It’s illegal when a debt collector crosses the line. When they do certain things that the FDCPA says they can’t do,” Karon said. “They call earlier than they need to, they call after they should. They threaten, they lie. They say the debt is worth more than it is. They say they’re going to sue you.”
Resolving debt and moving forward
After working with Money Management International, Blake was able to reduce her debt from $40,000 to about $13,000.
“My credit is higher than it’s ever been. It’s over 700, which is a blessing,” Blake said.
She’s traded spreadsheets for motivational reminders placed around her home—small daily prompts that, she says, prove financial recovery is possible.
If you’re having issues with a debt collector, you can file a complaint with your state attorney general’s office. For legal help, visit lawhelp.org.
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