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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Unclear Scam Story Implicates Collections Industry

3 May 2011

FTC Panel 4: That Time My Mind Was Blown or Is Email Considered Mail?

28 April 2011

FTC Panel 2: Please Stop Calling EVERYONE

28 April 2011

FTC Panel 1: Criminal Charges and the FDCPA?

28 April 2011

Debt Collection 2.0: Opening Remarks; "Take my wife, please!"

28 April 2011

Zero Damages: A Hollow Victory for Plaintiffs in Jerman v. Carlisle

25 April 2011

Target Likely Headed to Class Action Lawsuit Over Debt Collection

21 April 2011

W.Va. Supreme Court to Decide if Collection Agencies can be Sued as Creditors

20 April 2011

Philly Police Inspector Authorized Violence to Collect Debt

20 April 2011

FDCPA Lawsuits Against Collectors Rise in Second Half of March

13 April 2011

You're Doing it Wrong: The FTC's Animated Consumer Video

8 April 2011

Why Courts Have Read the FDCPA Narrowly to Prohibit Only Outrageous Language

6 April 2011

FTC Confirms that Collection Complaints a Fraction of Total ARM Contacts

5 April 2011

FDCPA Lawsuits Rise in First Half of March

30 March 2011

FTC Releases Annual FDCPA Report to Congress

22 March 2011

State AGs Taking Prominent Role in Debt Collection Law Reform

18 March 2011

FDCPA and Other Consumer Lawsuit Statistics, February 16-28

14 March 2011

Drafting an Effective Cease Communication Policy is Important for Debt Collectors

2 March 2011

FDCPA and Other Consumer Lawsuit Statistics, February 1-15

2 March 2011

Creditors Must Be Wary of California’s Rosenthal Act and the FDCPA

23 February 2011