What debt collectors can and cannot do in Canada

• Write down the collector's name, the company, the creditor they say they work for and a phone number.
• Ask how much you owe, who you owe it to and when the debt started.
• Say you will call back after you check the details.
• Check your bills and bank statements to see if the debt is yours and the amount is right.

Source: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, Dealing with a debt collector. Checked November 2, 2026.

If your debt is with a bank or other federally regulated lender, or someone collecting for them, federal rules apply.

If the lender sold your debt to a collection agency, your province or territory's rules apply instead. Most provinces and territories require the agency to tell you in writing when it takes over your account.

Sources: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, Debt collection: know your rights; Office of Consumer Affairs, Debt collection agencies. Checked November 2, 2026.

• Threaten you, use abusive language or put excessive pressure on you.
• Give false or misleading information about your situation.
• Tell your family, friends, neighbours or employer about your debt. They may only ask for your phone number or address. A co-signer or someone you agreed to is the exception.
• Contact your employer except to confirm that you work there, your job and your work address.
• Call your cell phone unless you gave that number for this purpose.
• Add collection costs to what you owe. The federal rules allow legal fees and bounced payment fees on payments you made.

Source: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, Debt collection: know your rights. Checked November 2, 2026.

Sources: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, Debt collection: know your rights; Manitoba Consumer Protection Office, Collection practices. Checked November 2, 2026.

• A collector must give you their name, their company and the creditor's name, with the balance owing.
• A collector cannot ask for more than you owe, and cannot add collection service fees unless the law allows it.
• A collector cannot use a document that looks like a court paper to mislead you.
• If you pay, ask for a signed and dated receipt that shows the creditor's name and the amount.

Source: Manitoba Consumer Protection Office, Collection practices. Checked November 2, 2026.

You can ask a collector to contact you only in writing, or only through your legal advisor. For federally regulated lenders, send the request by registered mail and include your mailing address, or your legal advisor's address and phone number.

Source: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, Debt collection: know your rights. Checked November 2, 2026.

• Make sure the debt and the amount are right first.
• Do not send cash. Always get a receipt.
• Pay the collector who contacted you, not the original lender, to avoid mix ups.
• If you cannot pay in full, explain your situation and offer a plan, such as monthly payments. Put it in writing and include a first payment if you can.

Source: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, Dealing with a debt collector. Checked November 2, 2026.

• How long collections stay on your credit report
• Debt limitation period in Manitoba

• If a federally regulated lender, or an agency it hired, broke the rules: complain to the lender.
• If your debt was sold to an agency: contact your provincial or territorial consumer affairs office.
• In Manitoba: Consumer Protection Office, 204-945-3800 in Winnipeg, 1-800-782-0067 toll free, consumers@gov.mb.ca.
• To check that an agency is real, look it up with your consumer affairs office or the Better Business Bureau, then call the agency yourself. Report suspected fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Sources: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada; Office of Consumer Affairs; Manitoba Consumer Protection Office. Checked November 2, 2026.

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