BALTIMORE — New federal data shows debt collection calls have jumped more than 200 percent in the past year, flooding phone lines nationwide.

The sharp rise may be tied to more scam attempts, but for anyone actually dealing with real debt, there are strict federal rules collectors must follow. That includes when they can call, how they can contact you, and what they’re allowed to say.

Sophia Hoffer-Perkins has experience with those dreaded calls. Debt collectors started contacting her in 2019 after she fell behind on her credit card payments.

“My business went through this crash. And so, I was doing this like hustle. I didn’t want to miss a payment,” she said.

But eventually, she couldn’t keep up.

“That’s not the plan, and it felt awful not being able to pay it, like, shameful, emba

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