Debt collectors are regulated by the FTC on the federal level. At the state level, attorneys general are typically responsible for enforcing state and federal laws. A few local governments also separately regulate debt collectors. The laws that govern the ARM industry are civil, meaning that liability is almost always monetary. So a state’s attorney general will not file criminal charges against a debt collector accused of violating the law, rather, he/she will sue for damages. Collection laws include federal and state statutes that govern the proper operation of companies and personnel that work in the debt collection industry. The most comprehensive collection law is the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Other federal laws that collectors must follow include the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the data security requirements of the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act (GLBA).

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BREAKING: Court Grants Temporary Restraining Order Against Massachusetts Attorney General's Outbound Collection Call Ban

6 May 2020

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5th Cir. Reverses Sanctions Against Consumer’s Counsel for Failure to Promptly Settle

6 May 2020

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Minnesota Order Protects Stimulus Checks and Halts ALL New Garnishments

6 May 2020

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E.D.N.Y. Dismisses Another "Lawyer's Case" For Attempting to Twist Collection Letter Language into an FDCPA Violatoin

5 May 2020

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ACA v. Mass. AG: Oral Argument Summary, Decision Expected Tomorrow

4 May 2020

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11th Circuit Holds That Contractual TCPA Consent Cannot Be Revoked

4 May 2020

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Los Angeles City Council Urges Mayor to Prohibit Collections During COVID-19 Pandemic

30 April 2020

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Letter Format/Overshadowing Claims Continue to Fall Flat in E.D.N.Y.

30 April 2020

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Rhode Island Exempts Stimulus Checks from Seizure by Creditors and Debt Collectors

29 April 2020

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NYC Introduces COVID-19 Relief Package: Tenants Get Relief from Evictions and Paying Late Rent

29 April 2020

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Moral of the Story: Web Payment Portals Need Time-Barred Debt Disclosures if Applicable

28 April 2020

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Who is the TCPA’s “Called Party” Anyway?: Collector Not Liable For Calls Forwarded to Plaintiff it Never Dialed

28 April 2020

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Minnesota Extends Guidance Allowing Collectors to Temporarily Work from Home

27 April 2020

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Washington State Enacts Legislation Targeting Consumer Debt Purchasers

27 April 2020

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RICO Claim Update: Navient Beats the Lohman Law Firm Again–Court Determines Crime/Fraud Exception Permits Disclosure

27 April 2020

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Chase Scores $250,000 Against TCPA Plaintiff Firm

23 April 2020

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Arbitration Denied: Consumer Did Not "Agree" to After-Added Arbitration Clause

22 April 2020

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ACA International Files Lawsuit Against Mass. AG Over Collection Ban

21 April 2020

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Court Awards $89MM Attorney Fee In TCPA Trial Win–Refuses to Reduce $267MM Judgment Against Debt Collector Defendant

20 April 2020

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Several States Update COVID-19 Regulations and Emergency Orders (NY, MD, OR, NJ, WA)

20 April 2020