Craig Cunningham has made $20,000 from 18 lawsuits he’s filed against debt collectors for violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). In fact, it’s something a part-time job/hobby for him. To ensnare his first FDCPA-violating collector, with voice recorder running, he called back the number they left on his answering machine, and asked:

“Can you garnish my wages if I don’t pay?”
“Yes,” said the debt collection rep.
“Can you put a lien on my house?”
“Yes,” they said.

Wrongo. Both are illegal for debt collectors to do, as is representing that you can. Craig used that little recording to net himself his first lawsuit score of $1,000. More tips on fighting back at shady debt collectors are in the rest of the article at the Dallas News. Granted, Craig might go a little overboard with trying to bait the debt collectors and he’s no sterling angel either, personal finance-wise, but if you find yourself backed up against the wall by an unscrupulous debt collector, some of Craig’s tactics might come in handy, and they may even be profitable.

Better Off Deadbeat: Craig Cunningham Has a Simple Solution for Getting Bill Collectors Off His Back. He Sues Them. [Dallas Observer] (Thanks to greb_brown!)

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