The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) was enacted in 1977 to protect consumers from abusive, unfair, and deceptive practices by third-party debt collectors. The law details when and how a collector may contact a debtor. The government enforcer of the law has historically been the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), but some regulatory duties may be shared with the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection housed within the Federal Reserve, created in 2010. The FDCPA is a strict civil liability law, which means that a consumer need not prove actual damages in order to claim statutory damages of up to $1,000 per violation plus reasonable attorney fees.

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At a Glance: Responses to the CFPB Debt Collection Rulemaking Proposal

13 March 2014

Joint CFPB-FTC Brief: Collecting on Time-Barred Debt Can Violate FDCPA

7 March 2014

FTC Letter Reveals Increased FDCPA and Debt Collection Enforcement

6 March 2014

Federal Judge Dismisses FDCPA Collection Letter Case with "Least Sophisticated Consumer" Discussion

5 March 2014

FTC Starts Sending Out Checks in Debt Collection Case

28 February 2014

CFPB Director Discusses Debt Collection Regulation in Speech to State AGs

27 February 2014

Anticipating a New Regulatory Regime For Debt Collection - Part 2

27 February 2014

On the Rise: Debt Collection Complaints, TCPA and FCRA Lawsuits

26 February 2014

Collecting on Behalf of Unlicensed Debt Buyer Does Not Violate FDCPA: Appeals Court

25 February 2014

Anticipating a New Regulatory Regime For Debt Collection

24 February 2014

Debt Collection Attorney and Firm Censured Over Six Cases

19 February 2014

A Conversation with the CFPB

18 February 2014

Court Rulings Force Debt Collectors to Revisit Validation Language

14 February 2014

TV News Reporter Confronts Scam Debt Collector

5 February 2014

Fourth Circuit Says FDCPA Allows Verbal Disputes in Letter Class Action

3 February 2014

Appeals Court Sides with Collectors in FDCPA Cases Challenging Letter Language

31 January 2014

Collection Industry Tries to Find Common Ground with Consumer Groups

28 January 2014

FDCPA Lawsuits Filed Against Collectors Decline 10 Percent in 2013

27 January 2014

UDAAP: The Little Acronym with the Potential for a Big Impact in Collections in 2014

24 January 2014

insideARM Summit Kicks Off with Talk on Debt Collection Rulemaking

23 January 2014