File with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) when a covered collector is involved. Use ReportFraud.gov if the caller looks fake, threatens arrest, or demands payment on a debt you can't verify. Add your state attorney general when state collection rules may be stricter than federal law.
A complaint can create a record and prompt a company reply. It does not erase the balance, freeze a lawsuit, or award you money. If the amount looks wrong, send a written dispute. If you want the calls to stop, send a written cease-communication request. Those letters are separate from the complaint, and you may need both.
Identify the company first. Save the name, the account reference, and the letters, texts, or voicemails you'll attach. Agencies can't do much with a vague claim that you were harassed.
What rules protect you from debt collection abuse?
The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) generally covers third-party collectors and debt buyers collecting consumer debts for personal, family, or household purposes. It usually doesn't cover an original creditor collecting its own account under its own name, though other federal or state laws may still apply to that creditor.
The FTC's debt collection FAQs describe conduct that commonly raises a federal issue:
| Conduct | What may indicate a violation |
|---|---|
| Threats or abuse | Threats of violence, arrest, or other action the collector has no legal basis to take; obscene or profane language |
| Deception | False statements about the balance, creditor, identity, lawsuit, arrest, or consequences of nonpayment |
| Inconvenient calls | Calls before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. in your local time zone, unless you agreed to different hours |
| Excessive calls | Generally, more than seven calls within seven consecutive days about a particular debt, or a call within seven days after a phone conversation about that debt |
| Improper third-party contact | Revealing your debt to relatives, coworkers, or others while trying to locate you |
| Missing validation information | Failing to provide a required written validation notice or continuing collection after a timely written dispute without first providing verification |
| Wrong-number contact | Repeated calls after you have explained that you aren't the debtor or that the number is wrong |
| Robocalls | Automated calls or texts that may raise separate issues under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, depending on consent, the number used, and the message |
One unpleasant call isn't automatically an FDCPA violation. Context, frequency, wording, the collector's identity, and whether the conduct continued after you objected all matter. State law can add limits the FDCPA doesn't.
Check the validation notice and dispute the debt
A collector generally must send a written validation notice within five days after its first communication with you. The notice should identify the amount claimed, the creditor, and how to dispute.
You normally have 30 days after receiving that notice to dispute in writing. That is not necessarily 30 days after the first phone call, so keep the notice and its envelope or electronic delivery record.
A timely written dispute can require the collector to pause collection until it sends verification. A phone objection can still help as evidence, but it usually doesn't trigger the same federal pause. The dispute also doesn't cancel the debt. It requires the collector to provide the required information before collection continues.
Debt validation letter template
Use the address on the validation notice. Federal law doesn't require certified mail, but tracking and a delivery receipt make it easier to prove when the letter arrived.
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Date][Collector name and address]
Re: Account ending in [last four digits]I dispute this debt [in full or in part]. Please provide the validation information for this account, including the name of the current creditor and the amount claimed. Please stop collection activity until you provide the verification required by law.
Please communicate with me in writing at the address above.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Don't include your full Social Security number, bank account number, or other sensitive information unless it's necessary. Keep a copy of everything you send.
Decide whether to send a cease-communication request
A cease-communication request is not a dispute. It asks the collector to stop contacting you about the debt. After receiving it, the collector generally must stop, except for limited notices such as confirmation that collection efforts have ended or notice of a specific legal action.
The debt remains, and the collector can still sue. If you get court papers, follow the response deadline even if you already told the company to stop calling.
Cease-communication letter template
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Date][Collector name and address]
Re: Account ending in [last four digits]I am requesting that you stop communicating with me about this alleged debt. Please send only any written notice that the law permits after receiving this request.
This request is not an acknowledgment that I owe the debt.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
If the debt isn't yours, say so clearly and ask the company to correct its records. Follow up in writing if calls continue. One wrong-number call is thin proof of a violation; repeated contact after notice is the pattern worth documenting.
Build evidence before filing a complaint
A dated timeline beats a general statement that the collector was "harassing" you. Save:
- The collector's name, mailing address, phone number, and account reference
- The date, time, number, and time zone for every call
- The caller's name and the exact words used, especially threats or false claims
- Voicemails, texts, emails, letters, envelopes, and screenshots
- Your validation or cease-communication letter and proof of delivery
- Notes from witnesses who heard a call or saw a message
- Payment records, account statements, and evidence that the debt isn't yours or the amount is wrong
- Financial losses or other harm connected to the conduct
Check your state's recording-consent law before you record a live call. Rules differ, and a recording that's lawful in one state may create problems in another. Voicemails and written messages are usually easier to keep without that issue.
If the caller may be fake, don't provide payment or personal information just to end the call. Verify the claim through a statement you already have or a phone number you obtained independently. The FTC's guidance on fake and abusive debt collectors covers warning signs and reporting options.
How to file a debt collector complaint
1. File with the CFPB
Use the CFPB complaint portal for covered financial products and debt collection companies. The CFPB generally sends the complaint to the company for a response.
Include:
- The collector's legal or business name and contact information
- The account number or only the last four digits
- A short timeline with specific dates and times
- The language or conduct that concerned you
- Copies of relevant letters, messages, and call records
- What you want the company to do, such as stop contacting the wrong person, correct its records, provide validation, or investigate the conduct
Stick to facts. "The collector called six times on March 4 between 7:12 a.m. and 8:05 a.m. in my time zone" is more useful than "The collector violated the law."
Companies typically respond through the CFPB process within 15 days, though some matters take up to 60 days for a final response. This walkthrough of the CFPB complaint process outlines response and feedback steps. Save your complaint number and the company's reply.
The CFPB is not a court. Its process doesn't decide whether you owe the debt or guarantee compensation.
2. Report scams and abusive conduct to the FTC
Submit reports through ReportFraud.gov, especially if the caller appears to be impersonating a collector, threatens arrest, or demands payment for a debt you can't verify.
The FTC uses reports to spot patterns and support enforcement. It generally won't negotiate your individual account or act as your lawyer, so don't wait for an FTC response before meeting a court deadline.
3. Contact your state attorney general
Your state attorney general may take complaints about collection agencies and may enforce state laws that go further than the FDCPA. Search for the official attorney general site and its debt collection complaint page.
Procedures and remedies vary. The California attorney general's debt collector guidance, for example, covers validation notices and limits on contacting employers or other people. Don't assume California rules apply where you live.
You can file with more than one agency when each report serves a different purpose. Keep the facts and dates consistent. A state or federal complaint still doesn't replace a written dispute, a cease-communication request, or a response to a lawsuit.
Complaint narrative template
You can adapt this wording for a CFPB, FTC, or state complaint:
On [date], [company name] contacted me about an alleged debt identified as [account reference]. The company [describe the conduct precisely]. The contact occurred on [dates and times], and I have attached [call log, voicemail, letter, screenshot, or other evidence].
I sent a written dispute or cease-communication request on [date] by [mail or other method]. The company [describe what happened next].
I believe the conduct may violate the FDCPA or applicable state law. I am asking the company to [provide validation, stop contacting me, correct its records, or investigate the calls].
Redact details that aren't needed to evaluate the complaint. Keep the original documents in your files.
Time-barred debt needs special care
A debt is "time-barred" when the statute of limitations for a lawsuit has expired. That period depends on the type of debt, state law, and sometimes the contract's governing-law provision.
A collector generally may keep asking for payment on a time-barred debt unless you send a written request to stop contacting you, but it can't lawfully sue to collect a debt that is truly outside the limitations period. In some states, a partial payment or written acknowledgment can restart the clock. Check your state's rule before paying or admitting that an old debt is valid.
The age of a debt doesn't make a summons safe to ignore. If you're sued, respond by the deadline and raise any applicable statute-of-limitations defense.
Can you sue a debt collector?
A regulator complaint and a private lawsuit do different jobs. A lawsuit may seek actual damages and additional damages of up to $1,000 under the FDCPA, plus court costs and reasonable attorney fees in an appropriate case. That amount isn't automatic. A court will weigh the facts.
An FDCPA lawsuit generally must be filed within one year of the violation. State-law claims may have different deadlines. An agency complaint usually doesn't extend or pause that one-year period, so don't wait on a regulator if you may have a legal claim.
Consider speaking with a consumer-law attorney or legal-aid organization if:
- The collector threatened you, disclosed the debt to others, or kept contacting you after a written request
- You have detailed records, lawfully made recordings, or written proof
- You were served with a lawsuit
- The collector reported inaccurate or disputed information
- You suffered measurable financial harm
Common questions about debt collector complaints
Do I have to complain before disputing a debt?
No. You can send a written dispute without filing a complaint, and you can complain without first sending a letter. The timely written dispute is the step that can require a pause in collection during the validation period.
Will a CFPB complaint remove the debt?
No. The company may correct its records, provide information, stop improper contact, or disagree. A complaint doesn't decide whether the debt is legally owed.
What should I do about threats of arrest?
Save the message or voicemail and report the conduct. A collector generally can't threaten arrest or use false legal claims to pressure payment. If anyone threatens immediate physical harm, treat that as a safety issue and contact emergency services.
Can I stop all collection calls?
A written cease-communication request generally requires an FDCPA-covered collector to stop most communications, with limited exceptions. It doesn't prevent a possible lawsuit or eliminate the balance.
What if I don't recognize the collector?
Don't pay solely because the caller is aggressive. Ask for written validation, compare it with your records, and contact the original creditor through a number or address you verified yourself. If the collector appears fraudulent, report it to the FTC and your state authorities.
Save the next letter, voicemail, or call detail. Check the validation-notice date, send the written request that fits the problem, and put the complaint and any court deadline on your calendar.