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The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act Summary

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) protects consumers from unfair debt collection practices. It prohibits debt collectors from harassing, deceiving, or abusing consumers. 

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What the FDCPA prohibits 

  • Applying payments to disputed debts

  • Compiling forms that falsely imply a third party is collecting a debt

  • Contacting debtors at odd hours or repeatedly

  • Threatening legal action that isn't planned

  • Revealing debts to others

  • Using false or misleading representations to collect debts

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Who enforces the FDCPA The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), and Other federal banking agencies and regulators. 

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What consumers can do

  • Borrowers can sue debt collectors in state or federal court for violations of the FDCPA 

  • Consumers can ask debt collectors to call at other times if their normal hours are inconvenient 

  • Consumers can request that debt collectors remove information about their debts from envelopes 

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State attorney general's office

The state attorney general's office can also provide information on protections available to consumers. 

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