Debt collectors are the people hired by creditors to wreak havoc on the credit reports of those who do not pay them.

They use intimidation and outright lies to coerce people to pay them money that may or may not be owed.

But they can be stopped. Here is how to handle debt collectors and stop them from ruining your credit file.

If you receive a letter from one, don't make the mistake of ignoring it. Respond with a single sentence letter:

"I have no knowledge of this account, nor have I received any previous correspondence from you about it. Please provide information"

Of course, reference the account number on the letter and provide no additional information. Ignore any request for additional info.

The above letter also works well if you have been ignoring a collection agency or have found a collection account on your credit report and haven't heard from them in the past.

That two sentence letter preserves your rights under the FDCPA, and at the same time requires the collection agency to take certain actions such as informing you of your rights to dispute it.

In most cases, they will do nothing about your letter. They will not inform you of your right to dispute. They will not provide the validation that is required upon your written dispute. They will not stop reporting the account until the dispute is resolved.

In short, each time you send a collection agency a letter, they will ignore it and in the process violate the law.

Collect the violations and maintain your trail of evidence. You will probably never end up in court, but only because you have the evidence to do so in the first place.

If they refuse to remove the entry and you have exhausted all reasonable means, then assemble your evidence of their violations and send them another letter with a hint that you may consider filing suit if they fail to remove the account.

If they still refuse, you will have to file the papers with the court. In most cases, the item will be deleted immediately upon being served papers.

Some will push further than others. To ensure you win you will have to be willing to push a little further than they will.