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 Announces $4 million Action Against Debt Collector Over Convenience Fees

25 June 2014

Former CFPB Employee: Debt Buyers in the Bureau's Crosshairs

24 June 2014

Dials, Contacts, and the Difference: Collection Calls to Consumers

20 June 2014

FDCPA Case Ruling on Convenience Fees Having Impact on Collectors

19 June 2014

Judge Rules Against Collection Law Firm in FDCPA Voicemail Case

13 June 2014

ACA Submits Amicus Brief in Debt Collector’s Statute of Limitations Case

5 June 2014

FTC's Recent Enforcement Action Sets New Debt Collection Standards

2 June 2014

FTC in $5.5 million Debt Collection Settlement with Auto Lender/ARM Firm

30 May 2014

FDCPA Lawsuits on Track for Third Straight Year of Declines

29 May 2014

Collectors are Watching the CFPB on Time-Barred Debt

29 May 2014

Collector Wins Arbitration and Defeats FDCPA Class Claims

23 May 2014

Debt Collectors to Pay More than $4 million in FTC Settlement

22 May 2014

Try This at Home: Maximizing Your Collector Performance

20 May 2014

FTC Gets Lifetime Debt Collection Ban and Large Fine for Agency Owners

20 May 2014

FDCPA Fix for Attorneys Gets Companion Bill in U.S. Senate

19 May 2014

Webinar Shows How to Increase Collector Productivity While Mitigating Collector Risk

15 May 2014

Court Rulings Have Shaped Landscape for FDCPA Rulemaking

15 May 2014

FDCPA Amendment Would Limit Lawsuit Cost Awards to Debt Collectors

13 May 2014

Take insideARM.com's 1-Minute Debt Collection Topic Survey

13 May 2014

"Frequent Filer" FDCPA Cases Defeated With Trifecta of Victories

30 April 2014