When debt collectors start calling to claim an unpaid debt, remember that you have protections and rights under the law. Debt collectors also are not allowed to tell other people about your debt. Refusing to give information: Debt collectors are required to provide you with information about themselves and the debt they're collecting. Find out about the debtWhen a legitimate debt collector contacts you about your debt, they're required to give you certain information about the debt they want to collect from you. Working with the debt collectorIf you're contacted by a debt collector for a debt that you do actually owe, you should repay the debt in full or work out a plan with the debt collector.