1. Re-aging Accounts:

Junk debt buyers attempt to force settlement on "time barred" or "Expired Statute of Limitations" accounts. The actual date that the debt becomes delinquent is supposed to be reported to credit reporting agencies under FCRA/FACTA within 90 days of the delinquency.

WARNING! Debt reporting re-aging is the practice of reporting a bad debt account as more recent than it really is. Re-aging causes the FICO score to drop dramatically since the scoring model interprets the re-age as a more recent default.

Junk Debt Buyers press for payment of some amount to bring the debt back under the statute of limitations after which they can sue you and have a chance of winning.

It is important to note that State statute of limitations (SoL) for collections are different from FCRA/FACTA statutes of limitations for reporting the debt on your credit report.

2. Misreporting the legal status:

(e.g., an open charge-off that was actually discharged in bankruptcy) and also misreporting the "open date" and "date of last activity" on an account are two favorite "illegal tactics"!

WARNING! Junk debt buyers purchase debts that are outside the statue of limitations for lawsuit (legal enforcement of the debt) but not outside the statute of limitations on your credit report! They like to report this debt as a revolving account, which is illegal.

3. Various Code Violations:

4. Multiple Listings of the Same Debt:

Junk debt buyers are often responsible for multiple reporting of the same debt as these change hands among buyers and sellers. Usually, these same debts are reported by the original creditor as well. Thus you could have the same debt reported multiple times! Increase your credit score by disputing and deleting these duplicate accounts.

• Don't assume you are wrong - assume instead that your rights are being violated

• Keep all letters, account statements, and court records (even from 15 years ago)

• Do not provide the collection agency or junk debt buyer with updated personal information

• Never acknowledge a debt with a collector or agree to any payment until the collection agency validates the debt (past billing statements are not considered proof)

• Never accept credit card "offers" that come with an offer to settle a debt or that request payment in any other way

• Monitor your credit reports. Get your free annual credit reports!