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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Whitepaper on Debt Collection Released by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors

13 February 2020

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Another Interest Disclosure Lawsuit Dismissed in W.D. Wisc.

6 February 2020

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5 Steps to Take When That Lawsuit Comes Through the Door

5 February 2020

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7th Cir. Reverses FDCPA Dismissal Based on ‘Claim Splitting’ But Provides Roadmap for Defendants

3 February 2020

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Big Week in the 7th Circuit: Settlement Offers, Envelopes, Creditor ID, and More

23 January 2020

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6th Cir. Holds Consumer Lacks Standing to Assert ‘Meaningful Involvement’ Claim, Not Every Technical Violation is Redressable

23 January 2020

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CFPB Forms Taskforce to Review Federal Consumer Financial Laws, Includes Zywicki

13 January 2020

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Sixth Circuit Holds Consumer Lacked Standing To Pursue “Meaningful Attorney Involvement” Claim

8 January 2020

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She Can Infer ATDS Claims, But Her FDCPA Name Claim Fell Short

7 January 2020

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2020: What’s on the Horizon for the Debt Collection Industry

6 January 2020

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Supplemental NPRM for Time-Barred Debts Coming "Very Early in 2020"

19 December 2019

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Supreme Court: FDCPA Claims Run from Date of Violation, Not from Date of Discovery

11 December 2019

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7th Cir. Reverses Dismissal of FDCPA Claim Involving Statement That 1099C Form May Be Filed

10 December 2019

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District of Maryland Sanctions Plaintiff and Her Counsel for Abuse of FDCPA and FCRA

9 December 2019

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E.D.N.Y. Calls Out Abuse of FDCPA, Confirms 1692g Requirements Don't Apply to Subsequent Letters

5 December 2019

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Settlement Reveals How Expensive the TCPA is Compared to Other Consumer Statutes Like the FDCPA

3 December 2019

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Legitimate Debt Collector or Scam? CFPB Releases Video to Educate Consumers on Spotting the Differences

21 November 2019

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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