Great to hear! Now you can use their statement to "garnish your wages" against them as it clearly violates the debt collections act that clearly state that debt collectors cannot provide false and/or misleading statements.
Stating that they will garnish your wages is false and misleading because they need to have a judgement that allows them to do that. Without one, it becomes misleading.
Now to turn the tables, send them a registered letter to state that if they dare sue you, you will counter sue for providing false and misleading information.
Once a debt collector sees that and they know you will fight, they will likely avoid the court battle route.