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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9th Cir. Holds Discovery Rule Applies in All Types of FDCPA Cases

28 June 2016

Judge Slashes Consumer Attorney’s Fee Request After Accepted Offer of Judgment

23 June 2016

Federal Judge Rules in Favor of Debt Buyer in FDCPA Entrapment Case

13 June 2016

insideARM First Party Summit for Credit Grantors and Call Center Providers

8 June 2016

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FDCPA Case Law Review for May 2016

7 June 2016

Debt Collection Lawsuits Revisited: Seventh Circuit Rules Collectors Not Required To Go To Trial

1 June 2016

Podcast: Do Consumers Need to Show "Concrete" Injury to Sue Debt Collectors?

26 May 2016

Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals Determines that a “Debt Collector” filing a Bankruptcy Court Proof of Claim on a Time-Barred Account is an FDCPA Violation

25 May 2016

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Another Extension for the CFPB Debt Collection Rulemaking Process

23 May 2016

Appeals Court Affirms that FDCPA Does Not Require Debt Collector Intent to Proceed to Trial When Filing Lawsuit

20 May 2016

FTC Warns Industry to Have Robust Credit Reporting Policies and Procedures

19 May 2016

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Consent Order Compliance: Navigating The CFPB’s Unofficial “Rules” Governing Debt Collection

19 May 2016

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In Sheriff et al. v. Gillie et al. Supreme Court Provides Insight as to Intent and Purpose of the FDCPA

17 May 2016

U.S. District Court in New York Grants Debt Collector Motion to Certify Important FDCPA Issue for Interlocutory Appeal

13 May 2016

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Court Finds Settlement Offers on Time-barred Debts Without Disclosure of the Fact That the Debt is Time-Barred to be FDCPA Violation

12 May 2016

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FDCPA Case Law Review for April 2016

11 May 2016

Another Court Finds a 1099(c) Disclosure May Be False, Deceptive or Misleading

6 May 2016

CFPB Targets ARM Industry -- Which Practices Should Your Company Avoid?

22 April 2016

Appellate Courts Hold Typical Collection Letters Violate FDCPA

21 April 2016

Summary Judgment Granted Against Dallas Debt Collector for Bad Behavior

15 April 2016