The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act lays down rules and regulations on the practices that a debt collection agency supposed to follow when collecting a debt of you. Every consumer should be aware of these guidelines even though you may not have a debt that is in collection. This is because it is not uncommon for a person to receive a collection calls on a debt that does not belong to him. In such a scenario you should be aware of your rights and the action you can take to refute and fight a debt collection agency. In case your rights have been violated under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, these are the actions that you can take.

Whenever you are making a claim against a debt collection agency, it helps to have as much paperwork, documentation and hard evidence to prove your claim. You should try and have at least a record of the dates and times of phone calls, name of the collection agency and the name of the person that you spoke to.

· File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission against the collector.

· File a complaint with your state’s attorney general.

· File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

· File a civil suit in your state or federal court for up to $1,000 including damages.