Mar 11, 2024

Consumers Can Receive Up To $1,500 For Each Unwanted Cell Call

lawyer talking to client

Are you hounded by debt collection calls?  The next time you receive a call from a debt collector, rather than ignoring it, simply pick up the phone and tell them to stop calling.

By telling companies such as banks and debt collectors that they do not have permission to call, you may be eligible to receive up to $1,500 per call if they continue to harass you.

A recent lawsuit filed against State Farm shows that victims of unwanted debt collection calls may be eligible to receive sizable payments, although they owed money to the company that is making the pestering calls. In the case of Osorio v. State Farm, a federal court ruled that State Farm broke the law when it continued to make debt collection calls after the plaintiff specifically asked the company to stop calling. The lawsuit involved a South Florida woman who provided State Farm with her housemate’s number as an emergency contact. When the woman fell behind on her payments, the company harassed her and her housemate with hundreds of unwanted debt collection calls.

Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, a federal law designed to protect consumers from unwanted calls and text messages, it is illegal for any company, including a debt collection agency, to use automated systems, artificial callers, and prerecorded messages to call or text you unless you have given the company express permission to do so. You can revoke your authorization to receive calls at any time, and the company must, by law, stop calling.

If you have received unwanted calls to your cell phone, you may be eligible to collect up to $1,500 per unwanted call. Complete our free case evaluation form to find out how the consumer protection attorneys at Morgan & Morgan can help enforce your legal rights.