Debt Collection Rule Could Leave Non-English Speakers Vulnerable

Debt collectors can be downright mean when going after people who owe money, but this one appeared to have reached a new low—the caller threatened to get the debtor deported.

The January 2019 complaint, filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, was one of only 12 like that have been filed, a tiny fraction of the more than 277,000 debt collection complaints the agency has received. But consumer and immigration activists say it signals a potentially broader problem.

Most consumers, particularly those with limited English proficiency, and especially those concerned about their ability to stay in the country, would not ...