Section 14-202 - Certain acts prohibitedIn collecting or attempting to collect an alleged debt a collector may not:
(1) Use or threaten force or violence;(2) Threaten criminal prosecution, unless the transaction involved the violation of a criminal statute;(3) Disclose or threaten to disclose information which affects the debtor's reputation for credit worthiness with knowledge that the information is false;(4) Except as permitted by statute, contact a person's employer with respect to a delinquent indebtedness before obtaining final judgment against the debtor;(5) Except as permitted by statute, disclose or threaten to disclose to a person other than the debtor or his spouse or, if the debtor is a minor, his parent, information which affects the debtor's reputation, whether or not for credit worthiness, with knowledge that the other person does not have a legitimate business need for the information;(6) Communicate with the debtor or a person related to him with the frequency, at the unusual hours, or in any other manner as reasonably can be expected to abuse or harass the debtor;(7) Use obscene or grossly abusive language in communicating with the debtor or a person related to him;(8) Claim, attempt, or threaten to enforce a right with knowledge that the right does not exist;(9) Use a communication which simulates legal or judicial process or gives the appearance of being authorized, issued, or approved by a government, governmental agency, or lawyer when it is not;(10) Engage in unlicensed debt collection activity in violation of the Maryland Collection Agency Licensing Act; or(11) Engage in any conduct that violates §§ 804 through 812 of the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.Amended by 2018 Md. Laws, Ch. 732, Sec. 3, eff. 10/1/2018.Amended by 2018 Md. Laws, Ch. 731, Sec. 1, eff. 10/1/2018.