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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Is Every Debt Collection Call a Violation of the Law?
24 April 2013
What is the Definition of "Repeated or Continuous Contact" by a Debt Collector?
15 April 2013
Appeals Court Sides with Debt Collector in Old FDCPA Case; Too Old, in Fact
10 April 2013
American Banker Story Says it Will Lay Out How CFPB Exams Will Change the Debt Collection Industry
3 April 2013
Class Action Status Granted to FDCPA-TCPA Voicemail Case
28 March 2013
CFPB in Action: A Roundup of Recent Activity - March 27, 2013
27 March 2013
FTC Settles with ARM Firm for $800,000 Over Convenience Fees
27 March 2013
NARCA Collection Conference Focuses on Best Practices for Compliance and Performance
27 March 2013
None of the Collectors that Faced FTC Actions Last Year are Larger Market Participants
26 March 2013
ACA International Comments on CFPB Report to Congress
26 March 2013
CFPB Releases Annual FDCPA Report to Congress After Active 2012
21 March 2013
FTC Director Discusses Federal Regulatory Limitations of FDCPA
20 March 2013
How About a Partnership with Fellow CFPB Supervisees from Other Industries?
19 March 2013
States Focus on Debt Collection Education this Week
15 March 2013
Debt Collector Loses FDCPA Appeal on Letter Language
14 March 2013
Less than 50% of Debt Collection Complaints Easily Verified
11 March 2013
FDCPA Reform: Sound and Fury?
6 March 2013
Substantial Sanctions Awarded to Debt Collectors in Recent FDCPA Case
1 March 2013
Appeals Court Voids $5.2 million Class Action Settlement with Encore Capital
27 February 2013
Supreme Court Sides with Debt Collector in FDCPA Case
26 February 2013