a debtor at the workplace unless the collector has been informed the employer prohibits such calls. The FDCPA allows a collector to call a neighbor or relative for help in locating the debtor, but they may only ask for "address, home phone number, and place of work" and are "not permitted to discuss [the] debt with anyone other than [the debtor], [their] spouse, or [their] attorney". The debtor may grant a debt collector permission to the collection agency to speak to other people, but otherwise contact with an unauthorized person violates the FDCPA. Fair Credit Reporting Act In the United States, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law that regulates the manner in which consumer credit reporting agencies may maintain credit information. Among the protections the FCRA offers to consumers: If an error occurs in the reporting of debt, the credit reporting agencies and information suppliers have a 21-day safe harbor period to correct the error and the safe harbor period can be used as an affirmative defense in a lawsuit. If a debtor pays off a collection account, the item may remain on the debtor's credit report but must be marked "paid". If information about debt that appears on a credit report is disputed by the debtor, the credit reporting agency must investigate the dispute. Unless the dispute is deemed frivolous, the credit reporting agency must normally complete its investigation within thirty days. Voluntary standards In addition to state and federal laws, many U.S. collection agencies belong to trade association called ACA International and agree to abide by its code of ethics as a condition of membership. ACA's standards of conduct require its members to treat consumers with dignity and respect, and to appoint an officer with sufficient authority to handle consumer complaints. Consumers may attempt to resolve disputes with a collection agency who is a member of ACA through that organization's consumer complaint resolution program. See also Bankruptcy Credit risk Debt relief Forensic corporate collections Distraint – "the seizure of someone’s property in order to obtain payment of rent or other money owed" Dunning (process) Tax refund interception Predictive analytics Repossession References External links National Association of Collection Agents (NACA). Debt Collection in UK Fair Debt Collection Practices Act - Federal Trade Commission. Bill and Account Collectors - U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. ACA International, the Association of Credit and Collection Professionals.