If a debt collector is calling, texting, or writing about a debt you don't recognize, take two separate steps: preserve the evidence and put your position in writing. A written dispute challenges the debt or amount. A written cease-communication request asks a covered collector to stop contacting you. You can send both, but one doesn't replace the other.

After that, you can complain to the collector, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), or a state regulator. A complaint won't answer a lawsuit, erase a debt, or automatically extend a court deadline.

This article is for U.S. consumers. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) generally covers third-party debt collectors, not most original creditors collecting their own accounts. State law may provide broader protection. This is practical information, not legal advice.

Match the response to the problem

Save the record before you respond

A timeline is more useful than a general statement that a collector was "rude." For each contact, write down:

• The date, time, and your local time zone
• The phone number, email address, social-media account, or mailing address used
• The company name and representative's name
• What was said, especially threats or claims about the debt
• Whether you answered or had a live conversation
• When you asked for written communication, disputed the debt, or requested no contact
• Copies of letters, envelopes, validation notices, payment records, screenshots, and delivery confirmations
• Names of witnesses who heard a call or received an improper disclosure

Keep the original files when possible. Don't edit screenshots or voicemails. Call-recording laws differ by state, so check the law before recording a conversation or relying on a recording.

Use one folder for the account and keep a one-page chronology at the front. Include the date you received the validation notice. That date can matter if you later dispute the debt or explain the matter to a regulator or lawyer.

Verify the company before sharing information

An unfamiliar company isn't automatically a scam. A legitimate debt may have been assigned or sold. Before paying or providing bank details, ask for:

• The collector's full business name and mailing address
• The current creditor and the original creditor
• The amount claimed, including an explanation of interest or fees
• An account number or other reference
• The written validation information
• A secure way to communicate and make a payment

Check the original creditor through a phone number from its official website or an earlier statement, rather than relying only on a number supplied by an unexpected caller. Don't provide an online-banking password, one-time security code, or unnecessary personal information.

Gift cards, cryptocurrency, and demands for immediate payment to avoid arrest are warning signs. Save the message and report it. A threat is not a reason to pay before you know who is contacting you and whether the account belongs to you.

What the FDCPA covers

The FTC's text of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act defines a debt collector broadly as a person or business that regularly collects debts owed, or claimed to be owed, to someone else. It defines a communication as information about a debt conveyed directly or indirectly to any person through any medium.

That can include collection agencies, some debt buyers, and collection lawyers. The FDCPA generally doesn't cover a bank, medical provider, retailer, or other original creditor collecting its own account. Another federal law or a state debt-collection law may still apply to that creditor's conduct.

The validation notice and the 30-day dispute period

A collector generally must send validation information within five days after its first communication, unless the required information was already included in that first communication. The notice should identify information such as:

• The amount claimed
• The name of the current creditor
• The name of the original creditor, if different
• Your right to dispute the debt
• Instructions for disputing all or part of the debt

You generally have 30 days after receiving the notice to send a written dispute. If you dispute the entire debt in writing during that period, the collector must stop collection activity until it mails verification. If you dispute only part of the debt, the statutory pause applies to the disputed portion.

Missing the 30-day period doesn't automatically make the debt valid. It does mean you shouldn't assume the FDCPA's automatic collection pause applies to a late dispute. Send your objection as soon as you can and keep proof that the collector received it.

The law doesn't require one particular document, such as an original signed contract, in every situation. Ask for enough information to evaluate the creditor, amount, account history, and whether the claim belongs to you.

A written request to stop communications

You can send a covered collector a written request to stop communicating with you about a debt. After receiving it, the collector may still send a limited notice saying that its collection efforts are ending or that it may invoke a specified remedy.

A cease-communication request doesn't erase the debt, prevent a lawsuit, or necessarily stop every communication allowed by law. A request made only by phone may not provide the same legal protection or proof. Put the request in writing and identify the account clearly.

Harassment, threats, and improper contact

The FTC's debt collection FAQs explain that collectors can't threaten violence, use obscene or profane language, lie, or use certain repeated calling patterns. Federal law also generally restricts calls before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. in the consumer's local time, unless the consumer has given permission.

For a particular debt, federal rules create a presumption against placing more than seven telephone calls within seven consecutive days or placing a call within seven days after a telephone conversation about that debt. Seven calls aren't automatically lawful. The numerical rule is a compliance benchmark, not permission to make harassing calls, and conduct can still violate the law below that number.

A collector generally can't tell relatives, coworkers, or other third parties that you owe a debt. It may seek limited location information from another person, but that contact has restrictions. Record exactly what was said, especially if a message or conversation identified the debt to someone else.

Send a written dispute if the debt or amount is wrong

Use the mailing address in the validation notice. If you are within 30 days of receiving the notice, state the date accurately. You can dispute the entire debt or only a specific part.

I dispute this debt [in full / as to $___ of the amount claimed] under 15 U.S.C. § 1692g. I received your validation notice on [date]. Please identify the current creditor, original creditor, amount claimed, and account information supporting the claim. I don't admit liability. Because this dispute is being sent within 30 days of my receipt of the notice, please stop collection of the debt, or the disputed portion, until you mail verification.

Please send your response to:

[Mailing address]

Sincerely,
[Name]
[Account reference, if available]

Don't say the dispute is within 30 days if you can't support the date. If the period has passed, you can still explain why the debt or amount is wrong and ask for information, but don't assume the statutory pause applies.

Send a copy, not your only original document. A trackable mailing method can help prove receipt. Follow any address or submission instructions in the notice, and keep the finished letter, receipt, delivery record, and any response.

Send a separate cease-communication request if you want contact to stop

A cease request can be brief:

I request, in writing, that [collector's name] cease further communication with me about [account reference], as permitted by 15 U.S.C. § 1692c(c). This request is not an admission that I owe the debt. Please send only any communication permitted by law to [mailing address].

Sincerely,
[Name]

You can combine this request with a dispute, but label both requests clearly. The cease language controls communication; it doesn't decide whether the debt is valid. If you want verification, include an explicit dispute rather than relying only on the request to stop contacting you.

How to complain about a debt collector

Start with the company

Send a written complaint to the collector's compliance or consumer-response address. Give the account reference, dates, and a short description of what happened. Say what resolution you want. Depending on the problem, you might request:

• Written verification of the debt
• Correction of an inaccurate balance
• Confirmation that a cease request was recorded
• Removal of an incorrect phone number
• A written explanation of the company's investigation

A complaint is not the same as a dispute. If you believe you don't owe the debt, say that expressly and include the validation request.

File with the CFPB

The CFPB accepts consumer complaints about debt collection. Use a factual, date-ordered account and attach relevant letters, call logs, screenshots, or payment records. Redact bank-account numbers, full Social Security numbers, passwords, and other information the agency doesn't need.

Cover these points:

1. When the collector first contacted you
2. What validation information you received
3. When and how you disputed the debt or asked for no contact
4. What happened afterward
5. What resolution you want

Save the complaint confirmation and the company's response. A CFPB submission creates a regulatory record, but it doesn't decide whether you owe the money, pause a lawsuit, or replace a court filing.

Report broader conduct

You can also report suspected unlawful collection practices to the FTC. Your state attorney general, financial regulator, or licensing agency may accept complaints as well. A state agency may be especially relevant if the collector operates under a state license or the conduct may violate state law.

Choose the route that fits the problem, but don't expect every agency to recover money or resolve an individual account. A complaint can lead to information gathering, a referral, or contact with the company without producing a decision on liability.

Get legal help when the stakes are high

Contact a consumer attorney or legal-aid organization promptly if:

• You were served with a lawsuit
• A collector threatens or begins a garnishment or bank levy
• The debt may be time-barred
• The collector disclosed the debt to other people
• The account appears to result from identity theft
• Collection continued after a timely written dispute
• The collector made repeated threats or misleading claims about legal action

Don't wait for a CFPB or state complaint response before meeting a court deadline.

Situations that need extra care

Time-barred debt

The age of a debt alone doesn't establish whether it is time-barred. The limitation period depends on the type of debt, the applicable state law, and sometimes the contract or agreement that created the account.

The FTC says that a collector generally can't sue on a time-barred debt after the limitation period has run, but it may still contact you unless you send a written request to stop. In some states, a partial payment or acknowledgment can affect the limitation period. Before paying, promising payment, or accepting a settlement on an old account, check the law that applies to you or consult a qualified attorney.

Identity theft

If the debt isn't yours, say so in writing and explain that you believe it resulted from identity theft. Keep identity-theft reports, creditor correspondence, and account records together. If the account appears on your credit reports, disputing that credit-report entry is a separate step from complaining to a regulator or disputing with the collector.

A lawsuit or legal threat

A phone threat and an actual court summons are different things. A collector can't threaten an action it can't legally take or doesn't genuinely intend to take, but a lawful lawsuit may still be possible.

If court papers arrive, read the response deadline, keep the entire packet, and seek legal help immediately. A complaint to the CFPB, FTC, or a state agency doesn't answer the case for you.

What these steps won't do

• A complaint doesn't automatically stop calls. Use a written cease request or, when applicable, a timely written dispute.
• A complaint doesn't erase a debt or decide who owes it.
• A complaint doesn't extend a court deadline.
• Seven calls aren't automatically lawful, and fewer than seven calls aren't automatically lawful either.
• A cease request doesn't prevent a lawsuit or every notice permitted by law.
• The absence of a signed contract isn't automatically proof of an FDCPA violation.
• The FDCPA doesn't cover every creditor. Original creditors and third-party collectors can be treated differently under federal law, while state law may fill the gap.

If the debt appears valid

After you have enough information to evaluate the account, ask for an itemized balance and confirm that the company has authority to collect. If you decide to resolve the account, get the payment amount, due date, account status, and settlement terms in writing before sending money.

Check the effect of paying an old debt under your state's law. Keep the agreement, payment confirmation, and any letter showing the account's final status. Don't rely on a verbal promise that the collector will waive fees or delete accurate credit-report information.

Common questions

Is a complaint the same as a debt dispute?

No. A complaint reports conduct, such as harassment, threats, or inaccurate information. A dispute says that you don't owe the debt or that the amount is wrong. State both clearly when both problems exist.

Can I dispute the debt by phone?

You can tell a collector by phone that you disagree, but a written dispute creates a clearer record and is generally needed to trigger the FDCPA validation pause. Send it to the address in the validation notice and keep proof of delivery.

What if I never received a validation notice?

Ask the collector in writing for the required information and state whether you dispute the debt. Record when the first communication occurred and what the collector sent. Include a failure to provide information or continued improper collection in your complaint.

Will a CFPB complaint stop the contact?

Not automatically. A complaint and a cease-communication request serve different purposes. A timely written dispute may pause collection until verification, while a written cease request limits communications subject to legal exceptions.

Can a collector contact my family or employer?

A collector may have limited permission to seek location information from a third party, but it generally can't reveal that you owe a debt. Record what was said and report any disclosure or improper workplace contact.

Save the validation notice today, start the contact timeline, and send the letter that matches your problem. If you have court papers or the debt may be time-barred, put legal advice ahead of a routine complaint.