Oops! $10 Million Reasons Debt Collectors Shouldn't Break Laws

Never underestimate the depths to which some debt collectors will sink when it comes to finding new ways to collect on a debt --whether it's owed or not. They will harrass, intimidate and levy threats all in an attempt to instill enough fear in the debtor that they will give in, shut-up and pay-up.  This time, they messed with the wrong woman.

In a twist of irony, a West Virginia woman is trying to collect money from a collection agency. Diana Mey, of Wheeling, W. Va., won the largest judgment ever against an abusive debt collection company -- more than $10 million.

A debt collector with Reliant Financial Associates, a/k/a RFA, left a message implying that her house was in jeopardy if she didn't pay a debt.

It is illegal for debt collectors to make empty threats about serving people with a lawsuit or seizing their home. And it was especially galling to Mey, who says she is debt-free.Diana knew her rights and set out to protect them. She wrote a cease and desist letter advising RFA they were violating her rights and breaking various consumer protection laws. 

The calls didn't stop there though.

They spoofed her caller ID to make it appear as though next series of threatening calls were coming from the Sheriff's dept. After two days of hang-up calls appearing to come from her local sheriff's office, Mey picked up. This time the man on the other end of the line repeatedly called her a vulgar name for the female anatomy. He described violent sexual acts he would like to subject her to and at one point asked if she liked to be "gang banged."

The verbal assault went on for nearly two minutes before the man hung up. Watch ABC's Nightline report and read more about Diana Mey's fight to collect her judgment from RFA visit Nightline;