(NewsNation) — U.S. households now owe a record $18.4 trillion in debt, and federal data shows complaints about aggressive debt collection have surged over the past year.

The Federal Trade Commission logged over 140,000 consumer complaints about debt collection in the second quarter — a 220% jump from the same period a year earlier. Georgia, Texas and Florida recorded the highest rates.

Nearly 60,000 of those reports involved debts that weren't owed or abusive collection practices — more than triple the number from a year earlier.

One reason for the rise: More Americans have fallen behind on payments. The delinquency rate on consumer loans was 2.8% in the second quarter, near the highest level since 2012.

Credit card balances have climbed to $1.1 trillion, with the average debt per borrower at $6,473, according to TransUnion.

"As cost of living, consumer debt, and delinquencies increase, legitimate debt collection efforts rise, and agents are often financially incentivized to collect," said Thomas Nitzsche, a financial educator at Money Management International, a credit counseling nonprofit.

But hard times aren't the only factor — and not all collection efforts are real.

Nitzsche said the........

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