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  1. How do I tell if a debt collector is legitimate or a scam?

    May 14, 2024 · A legitimate debt collector can tell you their company name and mailing address, as well as information about the debt they say you owe.

  2. Debt collection - Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

    Oct 30, 2025 · Understand how debt collection works, what your rights are, common issues with debt collection, and how to work with debt collectors.

  3. What should I do when a debt collector contacts me?

    Aug 2, 2023 · When a debt collector first contacts you about a debt, they are, in general, legally required to provide you with certain information about the debt during that initial communication or within five …

  4. What information does a debt collector have to give me about a debt ...

    Jan 29, 2024 · Under the debt collection rule, debt collectors have to provide you with certain information about your debt, known as validation information. Generally, this information is provided in a written …

  5. Know your rights when a debt collector calls | Consumer Financial ...

    Jun 4, 2025 · When a debt collector calls—or sends an e-mail or text message, or contacts you through social media—your best response is to confront the situation head-on.

  6. Debt collection know your rights - Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

    Dec 28, 2022 · Can debt collectors collect a debt that’s several years old? I'm in the military. Can a debt collector have my security clearance revoked if I fall behind on paying my debt? I'm a servicemember …

  7. Debt Collection: Know Your Rights - Federal Trade Commission

    Most legit debt collectors follow the rules, but bad debt collectors don't. They break the law. So if you get a call like this-- --If you don't pay, we will have you arrested and deported. Or this-- --This is your final …

  8. Debt collection common issues - Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

    Dec 28, 2022 · Can a debt collector contact me about a debt after a divorce? Can debt collectors collect a debt that’s several years old? I was an authorized user on my deceased relative’s credit card …

  9. What laws limit what debt collectors can say or do?

    Dec 9, 2024 · The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is a federal law that limits what debt collectors can do when attempting to collect certain types of debt. The federal Fair Credit Reporting …

  10. Debt Collection - Federal Trade Commission

    Jun 24, 2025 · The report recommended that government, industry, and others adopt significant reforms. View the debt collectors banned, by federal court orders, from participating in the business of debt …