‘An Arm and a Leg’: Vetting TikTok Mom’s Advice for Dealing With Debt Collectors


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TikTok mom Shaunna Burns used to be a debt collector, so she knows a few things about what’s legal and what’s not when a company contacts you to settle a debt. We fact-checked her advice with a legal expert: Jenifer Bosco, an attorney with the National Consumer Law Center.

Bosco said most of Burns’ advice totally checks out.

A recent report from ProPublica shows that debt collectors have thrived during the pandemic; they’re out in force to get people to pay up. But we have rights. Scroll down for some consumer protection resources.

You don’t need to have heard our earlier episode about Burns and her story; you can start right here. (Both conversations contain lots of strong language, so maybe listen when the kids aren’t around.)

Meanwhile, here are links to resources:

Burns’ Dealing-With-Debt-Collectors TikTok Videos

Be sure to note Jen Bosco’s legal caveats, but Burns will get you in the fighting spirit.


“An Arm and a Leg” is a co-production of Kaiser Health News and Public Road Productions.

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This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

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