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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Three FDCPA Cases Revived in One Appeals Court Decision
28 August 2012
Town to Increase Collections by Posting Debtor Names on Facebook
27 August 2012
Head of Fake Indian Debt Collection Operation Indicted by Grand Jury
24 August 2012
Appeals Court Rules Against Debt Collector for FDCPA Class Action Notification
23 August 2012
FDCPA Lawsuits Rise in Second Half of July; Year-over-Year Suits Still Down
23 August 2012
Judge Throws Out FDCPA Lawsuit Over a Non-Voicemail
21 August 2012
FTC, DOJ, CFPB Dogpile on Collection Agencies
17 August 2012
Tonetti: CFPB Supervision to Create 'Level Playing Field' for Credit Market Participants
13 August 2012
Hollywood Video Debt Collection Again Subject of Attorney General Scrutiny
13 August 2012
Credit Card Debt Collection: The Next Financial Bubble?
13 August 2012
Appeals Court Overturns Judgment for Debt Collector in Letter Case
2 August 2012
FDCPA Lawsuits Falling Farther Behind 2011 Numbers
1 August 2012
Comprehensive Report Released on FTC Debt Collection Complaints
24 July 2012
FDCPA Lawsuits Could Decline in 2012 After Years of Growth
17 July 2012
Laws Unfairly Treat Debt Collectors Differently on Credit Card Payments
17 July 2012
Franken's New Bill a Revival of 2010 FDCPA Proposal
12 July 2012
FDCPA Lawsuits Fall Off in June; Down 3.2 percent on Year
5 July 2012
CFPB Examination Manual Sections Applicable to Debt Collectors
29 June 2012
California Committee Approves Fair Debt Buyers Practices Act
28 June 2012
Debt Collection Complaint Data Shows Shift in What is Angering Consumers
26 June 2012