Do debt collectors have to follow any law?
Yes. The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), 15 USC §1692-1692o, says collectors cannot use abusive and deceptive practices. (For more on prohibited practices identified by the FDCPA, see Question 10.) In addition to the federal law, many states have adopted laws that provide more protection against abusive collection practices. For example, the federal FDCPA applies only to third-party collectors, but not to creditors attempting to settle their own accounts. State laws may, however, apply whether the debt is being collected by an outside collector or the creditor. For additional information on the FDCPA as well as a list of state laws and publications, see PRC Fact Sheet 27, Debt Collection Practices: When Hardball Tactics Go Too Far, www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs27-debtcoll.htm. Debt collectors may also be subject to other laws. For example, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 USC §1681, prohibits the sale or transfer of a debt caused by identity theft. For more on debt c
