If a debt collector is harassing you, there’s a good chance they’re breaking the law. Under the ACCC/ASIC Debt Collection Guideline and Commonwealth consumer protection law, there is a long list of things debt collectors are explicitly banned from doing — with penalties of up to $10 million for breaches.

The Complete List of Banned Debt Collection Tactics

Under Australian law, a debt collector cannot:

• Call you more than three times a week or ten times a month
• Call before 7:30 AM or after 9 PM on weekdays
• Call before 9 AM on weekends
• Call on public holidays
• Show up at your workplace without a legitimate reason
• Show up at your home uninvited when other contact methods are available
• Refuse to leave your property when asked
• Tell your family, friends, employer, or anyone about your debt
• Contact your children about the debt
• Pressure your family to pay on your behalf

The list continues. Debt collectors also cannot:

• Threaten legal action they can’t take, don’t intend to take, or don’t have authority to take
• Pretend to be a lawyer, police officer, or court official
• Chase you for a statute-barred debt while pretending it’s enforceable
• Chase you after bankruptcy for unsecured debts
• Continue pursuing you when you’ve formally disputed the debt
• Use physical force or threaten violence
• Threaten your job or threaten arrest
• Send misleading letters designed to look like court documents

Every single one of these protections is backed by Commonwealth consumer protection law. Penalties can reach up to $10 million for corporations that breach these guidelines.

If a debt collector has done any of the above, they’ve broken the law. MyCRA Lawyers has been holding collectors and creditors accountable for 16 years, with a 91.6% audited success rate.