If you use credit cards, owe money on a personal loan, or are paying on a home mortgage, you are a "debtor." If you fall behind in repaying your creditors, or an error is made on your accounts, your lender may turn your account over to a "debt collector."
There are separate guidelines that govern the behavior of the collection department of the original lender with stricter rules for professional debt collectors. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act requires that debt collectors treat you fairly and prohibits certain methods of debt collection. Of course, the law does not erase any legitimate debt you owe.
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