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The Aggression Market: how to deal with violations of citizens' rights in debt collection
Bailiffs revealed more than 762 thousand violations during the inspection of the work of debt collection organizations. Not only collection agencies, but also banks did not comply with the mandatory requirements for protecting the rights and interests of citizens when paying overdue debts. At the same time, Russians themselves most often complain about violations by microfinance organizations. MFIs account for half of the total number of justified appeals from citizens to the FSSP. Why creditors do not adhere to existing standards and how to protect themselves from aggression when collecting debts — in the Izvestia article.
Increasing pressure
Debt collection, credit and microfinance organizations (MFOs) continue to violate the rights of Russians when collecting debts. During unscheduled on-site inspections conducted from September 2025 to February 2026, bailiffs identified more than 762 thousand cases of non-compliance with the law governing the activities of creditors and their representatives in the repayment of overdue debts. In total, bailiffs inspected 108 organizations (including their branches). The press service of the Federal Bailiff Service (FSSP) of Russia told Izvestia about this.
The basis for the inspections were complaints from citizens received by the FSSP. In 2025, the service received 34,797 such requests, which is 4.5% more than a year earlier.
In general, the largest number of facts of non-compliance with mandatory requirements was revealed in the activities of professional collection organizations (481,092 violations). However, if we talk about complaints from citizens, most of the justified complaints about violations in the field of repayment of overdue debts relate to MFIs (50% of the total number).
It follows from their content that microfinance organizations are characterized by the most serious violations of the law. Basically, we are talking about insults, threats of dissemination or dissemination of information discrediting honor and dignity. Another option for common violations is to mislead debtors about the consequences of late payment of debt.
In total, bailiffs revealed more than 106 thousand facts of non-compliance with mandatory requirements by microfinance organizations. The FSSP staff issued 17 orders on the elimination of violations, 54 protocols on administrative offenses were drawn up. The total amount of fines following the consideration of 46 cases amounted to more than 7 million rubles.
If we talk about the overall picture, then there is a positive trend in the case of violations in the field of debt collection. Over the past three years, according to the FSSP, the number of appeals containing information about threats to the life and health of citizens, destruction of property and other dangerous methods has sharply decreased.
Microloans with macro aggression
The results of the FSSP inspections show that the work with borrowers to recover overdue debts from microfinance organizations is worse than that of other participants in this process, says Alla Khrapunova, deputy head of the Popular Front project For Borrowers' Rights, curator of the Moshelovka platform. In her opinion, MFIs now face a huge number of tasks due to regulatory changes, and some of the companies pay insufficient attention to compliance with all the rules in the field of collection.
The leadership of microfinance organizations in the number of violations is due to a systemic lack of external control and lack of adequate responsibility for specific misconduct, said civil lawyer Alla Georgieva. The situation is aggravated by legislative gaps that make it possible to interpret the rules of law in favor of the creditor.
In addition, an important factor, according to the interlocutor of Izvestia, is the specifics of the MFI's business model. Such organizations often work with the most risky segment of customers — people with low solvency or existing debts who were denied classical loans.
The total amount of household debt in October 2025 was 42.3 trillion rubles, and the share of problematic unsecured consumer loans reached 13% at the beginning of 2026. This creates a huge number of delays, and therefore points of contact where abuse is possible, says Ilya Rusyaev, a lawyer and founder of the Rusyaev Club business community.
The high probability of non-repayment of funds forces companies to build aggressive recovery strategies in which psychological pressure and threats replace a civilized dialogue, Georgieva warns.
— Although such methods are fundamentally unacceptable and directly violate the rights of consumers, MFIs resort to them to ensure their own profitability. As a result, a situation arises in which strict compliance with all ethical and legislative norms directly correlates with an increase in the financial losses of the organization, which pushes the business to systematic violations in order to repay loans and make a profit," she notes.
To normalize the situation, microfinance organizations need to conduct a high-quality internal audit and eliminate violations in debt repayment or introduce the mechanics of transferring the collection process to professional collectors, Khrapunova is sure.
"Civility and respect for borrowers' rights should be a priority, regardless of the tasks set," the expert urges.
At the same time, there has recently been a decrease in the number of gross violations in debt collection by MFIs, the press service of the MiR self-regulatory organization emphasizes. In 2024, the FSSP received 16 thousand complaints about the actions of microfinance organizations. In 2025, their number has almost tripled, to 5.5 thousand, which indicates a positive trend.
In general, talk about widespread aggressive communication with debtors is currently a myth, according to the press service of the National Association of Professional Collection Agencies (NAPCA).
— Moreover, more and more often we hear that companies have embarked on a "soft", environmentally friendly recovery at the pre—trial stage, which involves a range of special conditions (discounting, reducing monthly payments, and so on) aimed at comfortable repayment of debt by an individual, - the association draws attention.
In search of protection
Today, the actions of claimants at all levels are regulated by federal law, which prescribes clear requirements for work, regardless of the amount of debt, NAPCA reminds. In accordance with Federal Law 230-FZ, the recoverer is obliged to give his name and the name of the creditor at the beginning of the conversation and inform about the delay, Ilya Rusyaev lists. The written request must specify the basis of the claim, the amount and structure of the debt, the repayment procedure and the details.
— Truthful reporting of possible consequences, such as the imposition of a penalty or going to court, is not considered a violation. But threats, insults, lies about an "immediate criminal case" or an alleged trial, attempts to intimidate by "seizing property without trial" are explicitly prohibited by Article 6 of the same law, the lawyer says.
First of all, a person who is faced with a violation of his rights needs to make sure that the call was made specifically for his debt obligation by a real creditor or his official representative, the NAPCA clarifies. At the same time, it is important that the debtor immediately proceeds to a constructive dialogue aimed at solving the problem, and does not renounce his obligations.
In cases where the actions of the claimant still become incorrect and aggressive, the borrower can and should complain to the FSSP, emphasizes Alla Khrapunova. Before contacting the bailiffs, it is necessary to collect evidence — screenshots of messages, call details, audio recordings, Rusyaev adds.
The mechanism for reporting violations of rights is now maximally adjusted and automated, according to the NAPCA. You can submit an application through the FSSP website, the Gosuslugi portal, or a specialized service of the National Association of Professional Collection Agencies.
The organization does not recommend continuing the dialogue with the requester, who has turned to rudeness and intimidation. In case of threats to life and health, you should immediately contact the police, advises Rusyaev. Article 11 of Law 230-FZ gives the right to claim damages and compensation for moral damage.
However, a debtor who has made a delay needs not only to know about his rights, but also to look for options for debt repayment, Khrapunova draws attention. In her opinion, it is not worth hiding from the claimants and delaying the repayment of the debt.
— It is better to have an open dialogue with the lender, ask for installments and not take out new loans, — the expert is convinced.
You can protect yourself from unwanted pressure from creditors in advance. The probability of encountering violations in the field of debt collection is significantly reduced by obtaining a loan from a reliable company that is on the register of the Central Bank and values its reputation, according to NAPCA.
— Such companies try to comply with all the requirements themselves and attract trusted professional collection organizations that unconditionally follow the letter of the law. In this case, the risk of encountering illegal actions is minimized," the press service of the association is confident.
Tougher responsibilities
After the reform of 2025, the state received a real tool for verifying the activities of claimants, says Ilya Rusyaev. Federal Law 137-FZ gave the FSSP the right to request data on calls and messages from telecom operators, which used to be the main problem of proving violations. In addition, an expanded list of risk indicators for inspections has been in effect since September 2025.
However, the scale of the foreclosure market is large today, which is why inspections do not cover all organizations, Alla Khrapunova draws attention. In particular, in five months, the bailiffs analyzed the work of only 30 MFIs out of 843 companies listed in the register.
"At the initial stage, it would be advisable to conduct an audit of all companies, not relying solely on a risk—based approach," the expert believes.
Tougher penalties play an important role in combating non-compliance with the requirements of the law. Systematic work is currently underway at the state level to strengthen responsibility towards companies that grossly violate the rights of debtors, the National Association of Professional Collection Agencies emphasizes. In 2025, according to the organization, about 120 cases were initiated under a new article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation regulating the work of all claimants.
"The formation of law enforcement practice in this area is an essential element in the consistent implementation of state policy aimed at cleansing the industry of the criminality that has recently dominated it," the NAPCA is convinced.
Depending on the severity of the violation, the recoverer faces both heavy fines and imprisonment. In particular, the sanctions under Article 14.57 of the Administrative Code ("Violation of the requirements of legislation on the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of individuals when carrying out activities to repay overdue debts") for legal entities reach 2 million rubles, Rusyaev recalls. 172.4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Illegal activity for the repayment of overdue debts of individuals") faces imprisonment for up to five years.
However, statistics showing hundreds of thousands of violations show that the deterrent effect of such measures is not enough, the lawyer believes.
"It would also be logical to introduce an accelerated mechanism for a temporary ban on extrajudicial interaction in case of repeated violations, mandatory digital traceability of every contact with the debtor, a simplified procedure for automatic compensation to a citizen without a lengthy court dispute, and enhanced personal responsibility of company management for systemic violations," he concludes.
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