Consumers stuck with lemon cell phones could ditch their contracts with wireless carriers under legislation that passed the Illinois House Thursday.

Despite protections from the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), debts collectors are increasingly becoming more aggressive in their collection methods, particularly against consumers who are facing debt for the first time. This is because the number of consumers being pursued by debt collectors is growing.

The number of debt collection agencies is on the rise and so are complaints about collection tactics. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) was designed to protect consumers from creditor harassment with unfair, abusive, and deceptive collection practices.

If a debt collector calls you, do not panic and hang up. Take the calls and keep them talking to find out as many details as possible about them. Ask for debt details, the original creditor's name, the debt collection agency's name, and the caller's name. Instead of giving your personal information out, try to get as much information as possible from the debt collector. This can help you not only to assess the situation with regard to the debt, but to determine whether the collector is complying with federa