You fell behind on some of your bills, and now as you try to manage this new financial obstacle, the last thing you want to deal with is the debt collectors.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act protects consumers and gives them some protections from collectors.
The law governs the collection of debts incurred through the use of credit cards, as well as auto loans and medical bills.
These are rules which collectors must adhere to as they try to collect a past due bill from you:

1. Unless you have already agreed to this, a collector is not permitted to call before 9 AM or after 8 PM.
   
2. No calls at work, once you request it.
   Collectors may not contact you at work if they know your employer disapproves of such calls.
   
3. No repeated or continuous calls.
   Collectors may not harass you by calling numerous times a day about an unpaid bill.
   
4. No verbal abuse.
   A collector may not use threatening or profane language when contacting you about a debt.
   A collector may not falsely imply that you have committed a crime by failing to pay a bill.
   
5. Collectors may not discuss your debt with anyone but yourself and your attorney.
   They may contact family, friends and your place of employment, but only to try to find contact information for you.
   
6. A collector may not demand that you pay more money than the amount that you actually owe to the creditor.
   
7. They cannot threaten you with the prospect of being arrested and they may not threaten to sue unless they genuinely intend to file a lawsuit to recover your debt.
   
8. The collector, within five days of contacting you, is required to give you a written notice of your debt including the amount and the name of the creditor.
   This notice must also instruct you on how to proceed if you believe the debt to be incorrect.
   
9. A collector must honor a written request for no further contact.
   They must cease contact with you if you send a letter requesting that they do so.
   Send this letter within 30 days of receiving the written notice that details the debt being collected.
   If you believe it has been reported in error, be sure to say so in your letter to the collector.
   Of course, what you owe will not simply disappear just because they have stopped calling - either they or the creditor may still sue you for what you owe.
   
10. Any dispute must be verified by the collector, with a written verification being provided to you.
    Until you receive this written verification, they must cease their attempts to collect - after they provide this to you they may continue attempting to collect.
    

If a debt collector breaks any of these rules, report them to the Federal Trade Commission (877-382-4357) or to your state attorney general's office.
Each state has its own regulations governing collections; the attorney general's office in your state can fill you in on the laws applicable in your state.