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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A Push for FDCPA Amendments: Four Bills Introduced to Amend Different Provisions of the Statute

11 November 2019

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Pass-Through Online Payment Processing Fees are Exceptions to FDCPA, Says N.D. Ill.

7 November 2019

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Second Circuit Double-Hitter: Neither "$0.00" Nor "N/A" in Debt Itemization Confuses Consumers about Static Debts

6 November 2019

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No, Sending Information to Your Mail Vendor is Not Third-Party Disclosure, Says M.D. Fla.

31 October 2019

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"Balance Due As Of" Does Not Imply Balance Will Increase, According to E.D. Pa.

29 October 2019

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How to Use Email and Text for Collections Without Getting Burned (Part 2)

28 October 2019

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After Oral Argument, U.S. Supreme Court Seems Poised to Preserve FDCPA SOL Status Quo

24 October 2019

A person holding a mobile phone that appears to have illustrated white charts, graphs, and dollar signs popping out of it [Image by creator ra2 studio from AdobeStock]

How to Use Email and Text for Collections Without Getting Burned (Part 1)

22 October 2019

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Three Hot Topics—and Some Partisan Squabbling—Highlighted at Kraninger's Congressional Hearing

17 October 2019

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Argument Day is Here: U.S. Supreme Court Reviews Whether Discovery Rule Applies to FDCPA Claims

16 October 2019

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Third Circuit will Review Written Dispute Requirement Issue En Banc

15 October 2019

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CFPB Seeks Experts in Consumer Financial Markets, Laws, and Regulations for its New Taskforce

15 October 2019

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Big TCPA Win For Debt Collector—Court Refuses to Certify TCPA Case Against Debt Collector Allegedly Calling Wrong Numbers Because Data Lies and So Do People

8 October 2019

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CFPB Proposes Debt Collection Rule that Congress Rejected [Podcast]

3 October 2019

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7th Cir. Holds No FDCPA Claim Where Consumer Failed to Prove Credit Card Transactions Were for ‘Consumer’ Purposes

26 September 2019

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Lively Debt Collection Debate Likely in House Fin. Servs. Committee Hearing Tomorrow

25 September 2019

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N.D. Ill. Calls Out Plaintiffs’ Counsel’s Scheme of Faxing Credit Report Disputes to Obscure Number

24 September 2019

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Consumer Relations Consortium Submits Comment to CFPB's NPRM for Debt Collection

19 September 2019

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Court Awards Attorney Fees to Debt Collector, Finds Plaintiff Filed FDCPA Case in Bad Faith

4 September 2019

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7th Cir. Holds No FDCPA Claim Where Consumer Failed to Prove Credit Card Transactions Were for ‘Consumer’ Purposes

4 September 2019