Personal Finance Debt Relief Is CCS Offices a Legit Debt Collector? How to Handle Calls and Texts 2 people contribute to this content Written by Lindsay VanSomeren Written by Lindsay VanSomeren Expertise: Mortgages, home equity, personal loans, student loans, auto loans, banking, budgeting, debt, credit, tax relief Lindsay VanSomeren is a personal finance writer living in Suquamish, Washington. She's passionate about helping people manage their money better so that they can live the life they want. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor adventures, reading, and learning new languages and hobbies. Learn more about Lindsay VanSomeren Edited by Kristen Barrett, MAT Edited by Kristen Barrett, MAT Expertise: Student loans, mortgages, personal loans, home equity, investing Kristen Barrett is a managing editor at LendEDU. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her wife and their three senior rescue dogs. She has edited and written personal finance content since 2015. Learn more about Kristen Barrett, MAT Written by Lindsay VanSomeren Written by Lindsay VanSomeren Expertise: Mortgages, home equity, personal loans, student loans, auto loans, banking, budgeting, debt, credit, tax relief Lindsay VanSomeren is a personal finance writer living in Suquamish, Washington. She's passionate about helping people manage their money better so that they can live the life they want. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor adventures, reading, and learning new languages and hobbies. Learn more about Lindsay VanSomeren Edited by Kristen Barrett, MAT Edited by Kristen Barrett, MAT Expertise: Student loans, mortgages, personal loans, home equity, investing Kristen Barrett is a managing editor at LendEDU. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her wife and their three senior rescue dogs. She has edited and written personal finance content since 2015. Learn more about Kristen Barrett, MAT show more Dec 23, 2025 CCS Offices is a legitimate debt collection company. But before you respond, it’s important to know a few things. First and foremost: Just because CCS Offices says you owe money, it doesn’t mean it’s true. It could be a scam, or maybe someone made an error. You also have laws protecting you, even if it is a legit debt. I’ve been on the receiving side of debt collectors like CCS Offices before, and I’ll share what I wish I’d known at the time. Table of Contents What is CCS Offices? What to do if CCS Offices contacts you 1. Ask for a CCS Offices debt validation letter 2. Verify that the debt is real 3. Consider working with a debt attorney 4. Know your options Is CCS Offices harassing me? What happens if you ignore CCS Offices? What is CCS Offices? CCS Offices is a debt collection company based out of Norwood, Massachusetts. It helps other companies track down debtors and get them to repay what they owe. For example, if you don’t pay your credit card bill, the bank might hire CCS Offices to come after you for payment. Even though you’re technically not the customer (your creditor is), it’s helpful to look at information people leave on public review websites. More than 1,000 people have left complaints about CCS Offices with the Better Business Bureau. Complaints are trending up at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, too. It’s perhaps unsurprising that businesses dealing with less-than-pleasant subjects like debt collection don’t have many good reviews. But oftentimes, those negative marks are indicative of bigger problems: Namely, debt collection is confusing, and if you don’t know your rights, it’s easy to get taken advantage of. What should you do if a CCS Offices debt collector contacts you? I panicked the first time I was ever contacted by a debt collector. I thought I’d done something wrong. (I had; I didn’t cover a bounced check to fill up my gas tank.) But in that moment, I also did something else wrong: I didn’t check if the debt was accurate, or if I had to repay it. Let’s see how (and why) to avoid that mistake. 1. Ask for a CCS Offices debt validation letter First, make sure the debt is actually yours, and that the person contacting you is real. Just because they say they’re from CCS Offices doesn’t mean it’s really them. In 2024, the Federal Trade Commission received nearly 250,000 reports of debt collection scams in the U.S. To check that it’s real, ask for a debt validation letter, which any legitimate debt collector should be able to provide. Don’t give them any other details or information; just tell them you’ll contact them again after you’ve received the letter and you’ve had a chance to check it out. Heads-up, though: You only have 30 days to review it after getting it in the mail, so don’t delay too much. You’re protected against debt collectors after a period. But in some states, something as simple as confirming that you owe the debt or making a payment resets the statute of limitations, whereas you might otherwise have been protected. Statute of Limitations on Debt Collection by State 2. Verify that the debt is real Once you get the debt validation letter in the mail, here’s what to look for to make sure it’s real and not a debt collection scam: CCS Offices’ license and contact info The account number and original creditor for the debt Itemized list of debt balances, including fees, charges, and accrued interest An explanation of your rights, including a 30-day timeline to dispute the debt Debt validation letter aside, you’ll want to check your state’s statute of limitations for debt collections, too. If a certain number of years have passed (between three and 10 years, depending on where you live), you might be “judgment-proof.” If you’re judgment-proof, you still technically owe the debt, but a debt collector can’t sue you for it anymore. They’ve missed their window (unless you restart the statute of limitations, that is). This can have wide-ranging implications, so I recommend checking with an attorney if that’s the case. 3. Consider working with a debt attorney In my case, it was a simple enough matter to pay for the bounced check when a debt collector called. But if you have any doubts at all about the debt, it’s a good idea to reach out to an attorney for more support, particularly in certain cases: Very old debts If your creditor files a lawsuit against you Fraudulent debts, or ones you don’t recognize Debts that are so large, you can’t see any way to reasonably repay them Make sure you know your rights when dealing with debt collectors. It’s not uncommon for them to violate the law, and if you catch them doing it, an attorney can help you file a lawsuit against them. 4. Consider your options Ignoring the debt doesn’t make it go away, and often makes it worse. What to Do If Student Loans Are in Collections But you have way more options and resources that can help than many people realize. Here are some of the ways people work with debt collectors like CCS Offices to repay their debt: Take out a debt consolidation loan Set up a payment plan with the debt collector Hire a for-profit company (National Debt Relief is our top pick) to settle the debt Negotiate a DIY settlement offer to pay less than you owe in one lump sum Work with a nonprofit firm to get advice or payment plans Make sure you understand the pros and cons of debt relief services. We vetted companies to choose the best debt settlement firms, so we recommend starting there if you’re clear on the credit impacts and tax liabilities. Is CCS Offices harassing me? Debt collectors know people are often scared of them. Sometimes they use this fear to their advantage, skirting the law so they can push you even further. A good way to stand up for yourself is to know the bounds of the law, and what they can and can’t do. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is your ally in this matter, establishing specific guidelines for debt collectors to follow. Here are a few things that debt collectors are not allowed to do: Contact you publicly on social media Contact your boss and say you owe money Threaten you with violence or use profane language Contact you within a week of your last phone conversation Lie or make false statements about your debt and legal rights Try to contact you more than seven times per seven-day period Once again, it’s worth reaching out to an attorney for advice if you can document CCS Offices misbehaving. In some cases, you can sue the company in court for violating your rights. What happens if you ignore CCS Offices? As much as it sucks right now, it’s best to take steps as soon as possible if CCS Offices reaches out to you. If you don’t, it’s possible that, eventually, CCS Offices will file a lawsuit against you for the unpaid debt. If you ignore that, too, the judge could hand CCS a default win, allowing it to garnish your bank account and wages, and even placing a lien on your assets. Ignoring CCS Offices also carries the risk of tanking your credit score. Dealing with debt collectors can be overwhelming. Aside from a debt attorney, a good place to reach out is a nonprofit credit counseling agency like American Consumer Credit Counseling. You can get free counseling sessions and affordable ongoing help. Article sources At LendEDU, our writers and editors rely on primary sources, such as government data and websites, industry reports and whitepapers, and interviews with experts and company representatives. We also reference reputable company websites and research from established publishers. This approach allows us to produce content that is accurate, unbiased, and supported by reliable evidence. Read more about our editorial standards. The CCS Companies, Credit Collection Services Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Consumer Complaint Database Better Business Bureau, The CCS Companies Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2025, Pg. 7 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, What Information Does a Debt Collector Have to Give Me About a Debt They’re Trying to Collect From Me? Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, How Do I Tell If a Debt Collector Is Legitimate or a Scam? Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Can Debt Collectors Collect a Debt That’s Several Years Old? Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, What Is Harassment by a Debt Collector? Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Understand How the CFPB’s Debt Collection Rule Impacts You National Foundation for Credit Counseling, Debt Collection Management FAQs About our contributors Written by Lindsay VanSomeren Lindsay VanSomeren is a personal finance writer living in Suquamish, Washington. She's passionate about helping people manage their money better so that they can live the life they want. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor adventures, reading, and learning new languages and hobbies. Edited by Kristen Barrett, MAT Kristen Barrett is a managing editor at LendEDU. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her wife and their three senior rescue dogs. She has edited and written personal finance content since 2015.