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