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