MOSCOW, April 26 (RAPSI) – A professional association for debt collectors has introduced new ethics code which prohibits the use of several excessive measures such as discussing debt with debtors’ children, Izvestia newspaper reported on Tuesday.

According to Izvestia, the National association of professional debt collector agencies (NAPCA) was behind the new ethics rules. Last code was introduced 8 years ago and contained vague definitions.

The new code prohibits the debt collectors from speaking to debtors in disrespectful manner, hiding cell number during the calls or mentioning security agencies when talking to debtors. One of the most important innovations of the code is prohibition to talk about debtor’s debt with children and “third parties” as well as prohibition to disrupt the functioning of medical, educational entities and infrastructure objects, Izvestia reported.

Other prohibitions mentioned in the code extend to sending messages to debtor’s friends in social networks, discussing debtor with his or her colleagues at work. The new code obligates debt collectors to draft strategic approach and only use approved speech templates.

Earlier the State Duma adopted a bill that aims to curb abusive debt collection practices. The bill was introduced amid shocking incidents involving debt collectors which occurred lately throughout Russia.

In January, a Molotov cocktail was thrown into the window of a wooden house in the Russian city of Ulyanovsk. A 2-year-old child was badly burned and sent to a hospital. The boy was saved by his grandfather, who also received injuries in the fire. The bomb was allegedly thrown by a collector seeking repayment of a debt. Shortly after the incident, a man was arrested and later charged with an attempted murder.

In late March, another incident took place in the Novosibirsk Region. Unknown persons, allegedly the collectors, broke into the debtor’s apartment. The woman became a victim of sexual violence; her minor child and husband were beaten.

Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika has got the situation related to activity of debt collectors under his own control. According to prosecutors, collectors often harass and abuse people who owe money.

From January to June 2015, about 22,000 complaints were filed by Russian citizens against unlawful acts committed by would-be collectors, former Human Rights Commissioner Ella Panfilova said earlier citing by the Interior Ministry’s information.