How to Handle Debt Collectors Who Keep Calling the Wrong Person

Few things are more frustrating than answering your phone only to hear someone demanding payment for a debt you’ve never heard of. Whether you’ve had your number for years or just got it last month, wrong-number collection calls are surprisingly common—and they can quickly turn into harassment if the caller refuses to believe you’re not the person they’re looking for.

The good news is that federal and state laws protect you from this kind of treatment. The not-so-good news is that most people don’t know what to say, what to document, or when to escalate.

This guide will walk you through exactly how to handle a debt collector calling the wrong person, from that very first call through filing complaints or consulting an attorney if the harassment continues.

Answer This First: What To Do When a Debt Collector Calls the Wrong Number

When a debt collector calls and you realize they’re looking for someone else, your first instinct might be to hang up immediately. Instead, take 60 seconds to protect yourself.

Here’s exactly what to do on that first wrong-number call:

• State clearly: “You have the wrong person. My name is [your first name only], and I am not the debtor. Please remove my number from your system under the FDCPA.”

• Calmly ask for the caller’s company name, their mailing address, a call-back number, and the name of the person they’re trying to reach

• Request the last four digits of the account number (do not confirm any of your own information)

• Say explicitly: “I do not give permission for further calls to this number. Please mark this as a wrong party contact.”

• Write down the date, time, phone number displayed on caller ID, and what was said

If calls continue after you’ve clearly stated it’s a wrong number, the collector may be violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and possibly the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

Keep your notes somewhere safe. If the calls don’t stop, this documentation becomes your evidence.

Why Debt Collectors Keep Calling the Wrong Person

Wrong-number collection calls have exploded since debt buyers and auto-dialers became industry standard. Understanding why these calls happen can help you respond more effectively.

Here are the most common reasons debt collection agencies dial the wrong person:

• Recycled phone numbers: Major carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile regularly reassign numbers. Your “new” number in 2024 might have belonged to someone with credit card debt or student loan debt in 2019.

• Mis-scored accounts: Automated systems and third-party data aggregators use algorithms to match phone numbers to debtors. Errors in original creditor records propagate through the system every time the debt is sold.

• Skip-tracing practices: Collectors use databases, credit headers, and address histories to find people. These tools can incorrectly link your number to someone with a similar name, a former roommate, or a relative.

• Data entry mistakes: A single typo when the creditor first collected contact information can follow a debt through multiple owners.

• Bulk debt purchases: Debt buyers often purchase large portfolios with outdated or incomplete data, then dial every associated number hoping to find the right person.

• Third-party contacts: Sometimes a friend, ex-partner, or relative listed your number when applying for credit or medical services—without your knowledge or consent.

None of these reasons make it legal for collectors to keep calling after you clearly state they have the wrong person. Once you’ve told them, continued calls can cross into harassment.

Know Your Rights: Federal Protections Against Wrong-Number Debt Collection Calls

Federal law protects people from harassment and misdirected collection calls, even if the debt is not theirs. The most important protections come from the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), which has governed debt collection practices since 1977.

Here’s what you need to know about your rights:

• The FDCPA applies to third-party debt collectors attempting to collect personal debts like credit card debt, medical bills, auto loans, student loan debt, and mortgages. It generally does not cover business debts or original creditors (though some state laws extend protections).

• Under 15 U.S.C. § 1692d, collectors cannot engage in repeated or continuous calls intended to annoy, abuse, or harass any person—including when they know or should know they have the wrong person.

• Every debt collector must identify themselves and state they are attempting to collect a debt. They cannot falsely imply you are legally responsible if you are not the debtor.

• CFPB Regulation F (effective November 30, 2021) establishes that more than seven calls within a seven day period about a particular debt creates a presumption of harassment. This matters for wrong-number calls too.

• The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) provides separate protections. Using auto-dialers or prerecorded messages to call a wrong number without consent can trigger statutory damages of up to $1,500 per call.

• You have the right to tell collectors in plain language to stop calling your number. Once they know you are not the debtor, they must respect that request.

Many states have their own debt collection laws that provide additional protections. California’s Rosenthal Act, for example, caps calls and offers higher damages than federal law.

Recognizing When a “Wrong Number” Call Crosses into Harassment

A single honest mistake is different from a pattern of aggressive calling after you’ve clearly said they have the wrong person. Learning to recognize harassment helps you know when to escalate.

Watch for these red flags:

• Multiple calls per day, especially after you’ve already said “wrong number”

• Calls continuing over many weeks despite your denials

• Calling back within minutes after you hang up

• Yelling, insults, or obscene language

• Threats of arrest, jail, or legal action against you personally

• Threats to “ruin your credit” even after you’ve denied being the debtor

• Calls before 8:00 a.m or after 9 p.m. in your time zone

• Calling your employer after you’ve said not to contact you at work

• Using different numbers or spoofed caller IDs to bypass your blocking

• Leaving repeated robocall voicemails for a debt that isn’t yours

• Contacting people you know—friends, parents, your employer—and implying you owe money when you do not

The pattern of behavior matters. Frequency, tone, and ignoring your “wrong person” notices all become evidence if you later report or sue the collector.

Step-by-Step: How to Make the Calls Stop

Stopping wrong-number calls requires a combination of verbal assertions, written communication, and documentation. Here’s a practical checklist you can follow:

Step 1: Assert yourself on the call State clearly that you are not the debtor and that they have dialed the wrong person. Use exact wording like: “I am not [debtor’s name]. Remove this number from your system.” Stay calm—anger can escalate the situation without helping your case.

Step 2: Collect information without giving any Ask for the collector’s name, the agency name, their mailing address, a reference or file number, and the alleged date of last payment. Do not confirm your Social Security number, date of birth, or full address.

Step 3: Start a call log immediately Document each contact in a notebook or spreadsheet:

• Date and time

• Phone number displayed

• Caller’s name or ID

• What they said

• Whether they made threats

• Your response

Step 4: Send a written cease-contact letter Mail a “wrong person / cease contact” letter via certified mail with return receipt requested. Include your phone number, state that you are not the alleged debtor, and demand they remove your number and stop all communications. Keep a copy of everything you mail.

Step 5: Use phone blocking as a backup Block the numbers through your phone and ask your carrier about spam-blocking features. But remember: blocking doesn’t assert your legal rights or create documentation.

Step 6: Consider TCPA claims for robocalls If autodialed or prerecorded calls continue, consult an attorney. Each unlawful robocall can carry statutory damages, making these cases attractive to consumer-rights lawyers.

Step 7: Know when to escalate File complaints if your certified letter is ignored or if calls become abusive right away. Don’t wait for things to “get better” on their own.

Privacy Risks When They Keep Calling the Wrong Person

Persistent wrong-number calls aren’t just annoying—they create real privacy and identity-theft risks for everyone involved.

Consider these dangers:

• Exposure of someone else’s data: You may hear details about another person’s debts, including hospital names, bank names, partial Social Security numbers, balances, or dates of missed payments. This reveals their health or financial problems to you, a stranger.

• Accidental linking to the debt: If you answer questions or accidentally confirm data, you could be incorrectly associated with the debt in the collector’s system. This makes the error much harder to unwind.

• Verification traps: Some collectors ask for your date of birth, Social Security number, or full address to “verify” identity. Never provide this information when you know the debt is not yours.

• Workplace and family exposure: Repeated calls to your employer or family members can inadvertently expose your own contact details and employment information to more people than necessary.

• Scam risks: Scammers sometimes pose as debt collectors to phish for personal data. Warning signs include no physical address, pressure to pay via gift cards or wire transfer, and refusal to send written validation information within five days.

Treat any unexpected collection call as a potential privacy and identity-theft risk until you’ve verified the caller’s identity and purpose.

How to Document and Report Wrong-Number Harassment

Documentation is your foundation if you need help from regulators, want to file a lawsuit, or simply want the calls to stop. Start building your evidence from day one.

Build an effective call log:

• Date and time of each call

• Caller ID number displayed

• Company name

• Caller’s first name or employee ID

• Summary of the conversation

• Whether you said “wrong number” and their response

Preserve all evidence:

• Save voicemails (don’t delete them)

• Screenshot missed calls and text messages

• Keep copies of any letters or emails related to the collection attempts

• Store certified mail receipts and return receipt cards

File complaints with federal agencies:

• The (CFPB) accepts online complaints at consumerfinance.gov and forwards them to the company for response

• The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) collects complaints that help identify patterns of abuse across the industry

• Your state attorney general’s office often has a consumer protection unit specifically for debt collection issues

Consider legal help:

• If calls continue after complaints, search for a local legal aid organization or consumer-rights attorney

• Under the FDCPA, consumers generally have one year from the date of the violation to file a lawsuit, so don’t wait too long to collect evidence

Sample Phrases to Use on the Phone (and What Not to Say)

Having a script ready can reduce stress when that unwanted call comes in. Here are phrases you can adapt:

To insist it’s a wrong number:

• “I am not [debtor’s name]. You have reached [your first name only]. Please mark this number as a wrong contact and remove it from your system.”

• “This number does not belong to the person you’re looking for. Please update your records.”

To invoke your legal rights:

• “Under federal law, I’m requesting that you stop calling this number about this account. Please confirm you’ve recorded this as a wrong party.”

• “I am exercising my right to demand you cease all contact to this number.”

To avoid admitting anything:

• “I am not confirming any account. I’m only telling you this number does not belong to the person you’re looking for.”

• “I cannot help you locate this person. Please do not call again.”

What NOT to say:

• Don’t guess about the debtor’s location or share any information about them

• Don’t confirm your full name, address, Social Security number, or date of birth

• Don’t say “I’ll see what I can do” or anything that sounds like you might pay

• Don’t make promises to pass along messages

Write your preferred script in advance and keep it by your phone. Reading from a script is perfectly fine—it helps you stay calm and in control.

Special Situations: When the Debtor Is a Relative, Ex, or Former Roommate

Many wrong-number calls involve people you actually know—a sibling, ex-spouse, or someone who moved out of a shared apartment years ago. This can make things emotionally complicated, but the legal principles remain the same.

Key points to remember:

• Even if you know the debtor personally, you are not automatically responsible for their individual debts unless you co-signed or are legally named on the account

• Collectors can sometimes call third parties to locate the debtor, but they cannot discuss details of the debt or pressure you to pay it

• You should still say: “This is not [debtor’s] number. Do not contact me again about their debt.”

• Be cautious about offering extra information like the debtor’s new phone number or address—this can create more problems for both of you

• If the debtor used your address or phone on an application years ago, you should still send a written wrong-person/cease-contact letter via certified mail

• You have no legal obligation to help collectors find someone else, even if that person is your relative or former partner

Protecting your own privacy doesn’t make you a bad person. Collectors are professionals who have other tools to locate debtors.

When to Consider Talking to a Consumer-Protection Attorney

In serious harassment cases, professional legal help can stop the calls quickly and potentially recover money damages for you.

Signs it’s time to get legal advice:

• Dozens of calls continue after you’ve clearly stated “wrong number”

• The collector makes threats of arrest, jail, or property seizure directed at you

• Calls come to your employer after you’ve told them not to contact you at work

• Robocalls persist for weeks despite your written cease-contact letter

• The collector uses abusive, threatening, or obscene language

• They contact your family members and falsely imply you owe money

What to know about working with an attorney:

• Many consumer-rights attorneys offer free consultations

• FDCPA and TCPA cases are often taken on contingency—meaning no fee unless they recover money for you

• An attorney can review your call log, voicemails, and letters to determine whether the collector violated federal or state laws

• Average FDCPA settlements range from $5,000 to $20,000 per case, while TCPA violations can yield up to $1,500 per unlawful call

What to bring to a consultation:

• Copies of any letters you sent or received

• Certified mail receipts and return receipt cards

• Screenshots of your call log with exact dates

• Saved voicemails

• Notes documenting specific threats or abusive language

Even if the underlying debt is valid for someone else, a collector can still be liable for harassing you—the wrong person. Your damages exist independently of whether anyone owes anything.

Key Takeaways

• When a debt collector calls the wrong person, state clearly that you’re not the debtor and request they remove your number

• Document every call from day one—date, time, caller ID, what was said

• Send a written cease-contact letter via certified mail with return receipt to create a paper trail

• Federal law prohibits harassment, including repeated calls after you’ve said “wrong number”

• Never confirm personal information like your Social Security number or date of birth on these calls

• File complaints with the CFPB, FTC, and your state attorney general if harassment continues

• Consult a consumer-protection attorney if calls become abusive or persist despite your written demands

Conclusion

Wrong-number debt collection calls are more than a nuisance—they can violate federal debt collection laws, expose sensitive financial information, and create real stress in your daily life. The law is on your side, but you have to assert your rights.

Start documenting today. If you receive calls about a debt that isn’t yours, write down the details, send that certified letter, and don’t hesitate to file complaints or consult an attorney if the harassment continues. Collectors who ignore your “wrong number” notice aren’t just being rude—they may be breaking the law.

You didn’t create this problem, but you have the tools to stop it.