If a debt collector threatens arrest, tells your family about the account, keeps calling after you ask for no more contact, or demands payment on a debt you don't recognize, don't rely only on blocking the number. Put the conduct into a written complaint and send it to the agency that can open a file.

For most U.S. consumer-debt issues, start with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau complaint portal. Use FTC ReportFraud when the caller looks like a fake collector, impersonates police or a court, or demands payment on a fabricated debt. If state licensing or state contact rules may be involved, also file with your state attorney general or financial regulator.

A complaint doesn't automatically cancel the debt, stop a lawsuit, or extend the one-year deadline for an FDCPA case. It can create an official record, prompt a company response, and help regulators spot patterns.

Work through these steps before filing

  1. Identify the collector. Write down its legal name, mailing address, phone numbers, website, and the account details shown in letters or messages.
  2. Save proof as you go. Keep call records, voicemails, texts, emails, envelopes, letters, and delivery receipts.
  3. Decide whether the debt itself is wrong. If you received a validation notice and are within the 30-day window, a written dispute can require the collector to pause collection until it sends verification.
  4. Decide whether you want contact to stop. A cease-communication request can limit most future contact, but it doesn't erase the debt or prevent a lawsuit.
  5. File with the right agency. Use the CFPB for an identifiable collection company, the FTC for fraud-like conduct, and state offices for state-law violations.
  6. Watch the court deadline. An FDCPA lawsuit generally must be filed within one year of the violation. A complaint to a regulator doesn't pause that clock.

If you receive a summons, respond by the deadline in the papers. An agency complaint isn't a substitute for an answer in court.

What the FDCPA covers

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act mainly regulates third-party collectors that regularly collect consumer debts owed or allegedly owed to someone else. Collection agencies are the typical example. Debt buyers can also fall under the law, depending on how they operate and the facts of the account.

The debt usually must be personal, family, or household debt. Business obligations are treated differently. An original creditor collecting its own account in its own name is often outside the FDCPA, although state law and other consumer-protection rules may still apply.

Regulation F, 12 C.F.R. part 1006, adds detail on validation notices, electronic communications, call frequency, and other practices.

The FDCPA addresses collection conduct. It doesn't settle whether the underlying balance is correct. That may take account records, a credit-report dispute, validation, or separate legal action.

Conduct that may cross the line

A rude call alone isn't automatically a violation. Facts matter: what was said, how often, when, who heard it, and what happened after you objected.

Calls at the wrong time or frequency

Unless you agree otherwise, the FDCPA generally bars contact before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. local time. Contact at a time or place the collector knows is inconvenient can also be unlawful.

Regulation F creates a presumption of a violation when a collector:

That presumption isn't a safe limit. Fewer calls can still be unlawful if they're threatening, abusive, or part of a harassing pattern. Keep your own log instead of relying only on phone history.

Continued contact after a valid cease-communication request can also violate the law, except for limited notices the FDCPA allows.

Lies, threats, and fake authority

Collectors can't misrepresent key facts, including:

Threatening arrest over an unpaid consumer debt is a major red flag. So is threatening legal action that the collector can't lawfully take or doesn't intend to take. A real notice about pending court action is different from a fabricated threat.

Violence threats, obscene language, public shaming, and attempts to deceive relatives or employers are also serious warning signs.

Calls to relatives, employers, or neighbors

A collector may contact another person only in limited ways, usually to find your address or phone number. It generally can't tell that person you allegedly owe a debt or discuss the amount.

Save evidence if the collector:

Workplace rules can vary. California's attorney general debt-collector guidance is useful for California-specific limits, but don't assume it applies elsewhere.

Validation notices and disputes

The collector generally must give validation information in the first communication or send a written notice within five days. The notice should identify the amount claimed, the current creditor, and your right to dispute.

If you send a written dispute within 30 days of receiving that notice, the collector generally must stop collecting the disputed debt until it mails verification. You may also ask for the name and address of the original creditor if it differs from the current creditor.

You don't need to demand every possible document to make a useful dispute. Ask for the information that identifies the account and explain what you believe is wrong.

Inflated balances and unauthorized fees

Interest, fees, and other charges can't be added unless the original agreement or applicable law allows them. Compare the collector's itemization with your statements and payment records.

If the account appears on your credit report, keep a dated copy. Inaccurate reporting may require a separate dispute with the credit reporting company and the furnisher.

Texts, emails, and automated calls

Electronic contact isn't automatically illegal. Regulation F allows some electronic communications but includes disclosure and opt-out requirements. Other federal and state telephone rules may apply based on consent, technology, and the number called.

Save the full message, sender details, date, time, and any opt-out request. If you report a robocall, describe exactly what happened rather than assuming the label proves a violation.

Old debts and statutes of limitations

The deadline for suing on a debt depends on state law and the type of debt. It isn't the same as the one-year deadline for an FDCPA lawsuit.

In some states, a payment or written acknowledgment can restart the lawsuit period. A collector may seek voluntary payment on an old debt in some circumstances, but it can't mislead you or threaten suit when that option isn't legally available. Check your state's rules before paying, promising to pay, or admitting the debt is yours.

Build a file that regulators can use

A strong complaint gives dates, names, channels, and exact words. Create a chronological file with:

Before uploading, redact unnecessary Social Security numbers, full bank-account numbers, passwords, and card numbers. Keep originals secure.

Call-recording rules vary by state. Some require all parties to consent. Check the law before recording. A detailed log helps even without a recording.

Dispute and cease-communication requests do different jobs

Action What it can do What it doesn't do
Written debt dispute Can trigger validation and pause collection if sent within the 30-day window Doesn't decide the debt is invalid or erase a legitimate balance
Cease-communication request Can require the collector to stop most contact after receipt Doesn't cancel the debt or prevent permitted legal action
Agency complaint Creates a regulatory record and may prompt review Doesn't guarantee damages, a refund, or an immediate end to calls
Lawsuit or legal consultation May provide damages or a defense Involves deadlines, proof, costs, and court rules

Debt dispute template

Send the dispute to the address listed in the validation notice. Keep a copy. Certified mail can help prove delivery, but it isn't the only valid method.

[Your name]
[Your mailing address]
[Date]

[Collector's name]
[Address listed in the validation notice]

Re: Account ending in [last four digits]

I dispute this debt [in full / in the amount of $_____]. I'm sending this written dispute within 30 days after receiving the validation notice.

Please provide the validation information required by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, including the current creditor's name and address, the amount claimed, and an explanation or itemization of the balance.

[Optional: This account isn't mine because .]
[Optional: The amount is incorrect because .]
[Optional: Please provide the name and address of the original creditor if it differs from the current creditor.]

This letter isn't an admission that I owe the debt.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

A dispute sent after 30 days can still explain an error, but it may not trigger the same pause. A phone dispute may not preserve the written-dispute protection.

Cease-communication template

Use this when you want contact about the account to stop. If you also dispute the debt, send the requests separately so each purpose is clear.

[Your name]
[Your mailing address]
[Date]

[Collector's name]
[Collector's address]

Re: Account ending in [last four digits]

Under 15 U.S.C. section 1692c(c), I request that you cease communicating with me about this debt. Please limit further communication to the notices permitted by that section.

This request isn't an admission that I owe the debt.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

After receiving a valid request, the collector may still send limited notices, such as confirmation that it will stop or notice of a specific action. The request doesn't block a lawsuit. If you prefer mail instead of calls and texts, say that clearly. A written-only preference isn't the same as a full cease request.

Where to file

CFPB

The CFPB complaint portal is often the first place to file for a complaint about an identifiable debt collection company.

Before submitting:

  1. Collect the collector's exact business name, address, phone number, website, and account reference.
  2. Write a short timeline with dates, channels, and conduct.
  3. Explain what you told the collector and how it responded.
  4. Attach relevant documents after redacting sensitive details.
  5. State the result you want, such as corrected information, verification, or an end to contact.
  6. Save the confirmation number and your submission copy.
  7. Check the portal for the company response and add factual feedback if asked.

The CFPB may send an eligible complaint to the company for response or route it elsewhere. A company response isn't a government finding of an FDCPA violation. The portal also isn't a court and generally can't award private FDCPA damages.

FTC

Use FTC ReportFraud for suspected scams, fake collectors, impersonation, fabricated debts, spoofed caller IDs, and abusive patterns.

Include:

The FTC uses reports to identify patterns and support enforcement. It generally doesn't resolve an individual dispute or act as your lawyer.

State attorney general and financial regulator

File with your state attorney general's consumer-protection office when the conduct may violate state law. Check whether your state also licenses debt collectors through a banking or financial-services regulator.

Consider filing in:

State law can cover original creditors, impose stricter contact rules, require licensing, or provide remedies beyond the FDCPA. Follow the agency's current instructions instead of sending a generic form to an unrelated office.

What to write in the complaint

Be factual and chronological. A useful structure is:

Company: [legal name]
Account: [last four digits or internal reference]
First contact: [date and method]

Summary: I'm reporting collection conduct involving the account above.

Timeline: On [date] at [time], [describe what happened and identify the number or channel]. On [date], I sent [a dispute / cease request] to [address]. The collector [describe response or continued conduct].

Why I believe there's a problem: [State specific facts, such as a false arrest threat, disclosure to an employer, continued collection after a timely written dispute, or an inaccurate balance.]

Documents attached: [List call log, letter, voicemail, tracking proof, and account records.]

Requested resolution: [Describe the practical outcome you want.]

Specific dates and documents are more useful than broad statements about harassment. You don't need to cite every FDCPA section.

If the collector ignores you

A complaint may not produce the outcome you need. If calls continue or the conduct gets worse:

Common questions

Do I have to complain to the CFPB before suing?
No. A CFPB complaint isn't generally a prerequisite for a private FDCPA action. You can file a complaint and seek legal advice at the same time, but track the one-year lawsuit deadline separately.

Does a dispute make calls stop forever?
A timely written dispute generally requires the collector to pause collection until it mails verification. After that, lawful collection may resume. A cease request has a different effect.

Are all collector robocalls illegal?
No. Automated and prerecorded calls can implicate the FDCPA or other telephone rules, but the outcome depends on consent, technology, the number called, content, and state law.

Should I pay an old debt to make it stop?
Not before checking the debt, the collector, and your state's limitations rules. Payment or acknowledgment can affect an old debt differently depending on state law.

What if the debt isn't mine?
Dispute it in writing, request validation, keep delivery proof, and report continued collection or identity-theft-related conduct. Don't provide more personal information than necessary.

Official sources

Save the complaint confirmation, keep the collector's letters and messages, and calendar the one-year FDCPA deadline before you wait for an agency response.