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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FTC Submits Opinion on Debt Buyer Class Action Lawsuit
24 June 2011
Another News Outlet Gets Collection Agencies Wrong
21 June 2011
Can a Debt Collector Legally Use Facebook, Text Messages or Email?
16 June 2011
FDCPA Lawsuits Spike in Second Half of May on One Large Case
15 June 2011
New Trend Falsely Claimed: Debt Collection and Twitter
13 June 2011
ACA International Pushes for Updates to ARM Rules and Laws
13 June 2011
Doing it Right/Wrong: The Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Edition
10 June 2011
Debt Collecting: Morally Neutral, Or Morally Bankrupt?
9 June 2011
Claims of Debt Collector Abuse Continue to Fail in Court
7 June 2011
Consumer Group Tells FTC to Step Up FDCPA Enforcement
1 June 2011
FDCPA Lawsuits Soar in First Half of May
1 June 2011
Weak FDCPA Claims Fall Upon Scrutiny
26 May 2011
A Foreclosure Case With Far-Reaching Repercussions for the ARM Industry
26 May 2011
FDCPA Lawsuits Decline in Second Half of April
24 May 2011
Court Issues Favorable Ruling for Collection Industry
23 May 2011
Doing it Wrong: Or is it? (UPDATED)
20 May 2011
Defeating Marginal FDCPA Claims - Damages and Materiality
18 May 2011
State Regulator Fines and Pulls License of Debt Collector
13 May 2011
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Foti?
3 May 2011
Number of FDCPA Lawsuits Filed Flat in First Half of April
3 May 2011