A collection agency, as defined in the Collection Agency Act, or any employee of a collection agency commits a deceptive collection practice, when, with the intent to collect a debt owed to a person, corporation or other entity, he or she:
(A) Represents falsely that he or she is an attorney, a police officer, a sheriff or deputy sheriff, a bailiff, a county clerk or employee of a County Clerk’s office or any other person who by statute is authorized to enforce the law or any order of a court;
(B) While attempting to collect an alleged debt, misrepresents to the alleged debtor or to his or her immediate family the corporate, partnership or propriety name or other trade or business name under which the debt collector is engaging in debt collections and which he or she is legally authorized to use;
(C) While attempting to collect an alleged debt, adds to the debt any service charge, interest or penalty which he or she is not entitled by law to add;
(D) Threatens to ruin, destroy or otherwise adversely affect an alleged debtor’s credit rating unless, at the same time, a disclosure is made in accordance with federal law that the alleged debtor has a right to inspect his or her credit rating; or
(E) Accepts from an alleged debtor a payment which he or she knows is not owed. The commission of a deceptive collection practice is a business offense punishable by a fine not to exceed $3,000.
(ILCS Chapter 720, Act 5, § 17-5) (1981 Code, § 42.17, 17-5)