Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA)

The FDCPA covers debt collectors, a term defined in 15 U.S.C. 1692a that generally leaves out original creditors collecting their own debts. It bans false or misleading statements, gives you the right to a validation notice and to dispute the debt, and limits contact. The CFPB's Regulation F fills in details, such as a presumption that more than seven calls in seven days about one debt violates the law.

The law reaches credit reports too. Reporting credit information a collector knows or should know is false, including failing to show that a disputed debt is disputed, counts as a false representation under 1692e. Regulation F also bars collectors from reporting a debt to a bureau before contacting you about it. Keep letters, call logs and screenshots as evidence.