A Debt Collector Threatened Me with Fraud and Jail. Can They Do That?

Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC has told you before about creditor harassment, and with a list of things the creditor can and cannot do. We’ve also talked repeatedly about illegal scams where someone calls and pretends to be a debt collector in order to swindle you out of money. This post is slightly different. Here, we talk about the debt collector’s threat of fraud and related threat of jail time. Fraud allegations are different because a debtor really can go to jail for actual fraud. However, because debt collectors generally don’t understand the real meaning of the word fraud, the threat of jail time for fraud charges is almost never a real concern for every day debtors like you. Here’s why:

What Is Fraud?

So what separates an average joe who can’t pay his credit cards on time from a criminal who is defrauding business of its hard earned money? In a word, intent. One must actually intend to commit fraud, because a necessary element of fraud is the knowledge that a representation made is false. For judges and prosecutors, there is no question that someone has not committed fraud simply because they find themselves unable to pay their bills. The real question is whether the person with the unpaid bill, at the time he or she took out credit, knew that the debt would never be paid back. As a practical matter, that is difficult to prove in the context of taking out a loan. It is one thing to show that a bad check was written when the check writer knew the account balance was too low. It is another thing entirely to say that someone signing for a loan never intended to pay it back. None of us have a crystal ball.

As a practical matter, most creditors don’t even try to prove fraud. The bar is simply too high, and the likelihood of winning too small. Further, the fact that some debts won’t be paid back is factored into the creditor’s business model. That is why credit card companies and banks are billion dollar businesses despite the bankruptcies filed on their loans every day. Rather than prove fraud, these companies simply sue for money. The difference is profound. Fraud is criminal and involves jail time. A civil suit for money is a matter of a garnishment or lien against property.

There Is a Way Out of Crippling Debt

Debt Consolidation Companies aren’t always a solution, but bankruptcy is always the nuclear option to debt problems. Although you don’t have to worry about debtor’s prison or fraud, you do need to worry about your credit score, your debt-to-equity ratio, and many other variables that determine the kind of life you live. Although it is counterintuitive, bankruptcy can drastically improve these factors and your ability to live the life you deserve.

Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC has helped many clients who have been hassled by debt collectors, and we’d be happy to help you. We are Working Hard for the Working Class, and we want to work for you! Give us a call for your free consultation, today!