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The guide details validation notice requirements, debt verification within set timelines, restrictions on harassment, false statements, and unfair practices, and key limits such as garnishment and statute of limitations.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/","Template",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/letters/","Letters",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/debt-collection-faqs-understand-your-rights-under-the-fdcpa/281564/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/debt-collection-faqs-understand-your-rights-under-the-fdcpa/281564.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Blitz","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-19","2026-09-16",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",13,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What kinds of debts are covered under the FTC’s FDCPA guidance?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"Credit card debt, auto loans, medical bills, student loans, mortgage, and other household debts are covered. Business debts are not.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"How can I stop a debt collector from contacting me?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Send a mail letter requesting contact to stop, ideally with certified mail and a return receipt. After receiving it, the collector may only confirm it will stop or inform you of a specific action such as a lawsuit.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What must a debt collector tell you about the debt?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"The collector must send a written validation notice within five days of first contacting you. It must state how much you owe, the creditor’s name, and what to do if you don’t think the debt is yours.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},281564,1790186649,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,89,94,99,104,109,114,118,123],{"id":85,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":86,"show_sort_weight":87,"slug":88},11,"Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":90,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":91,"show_sort_weight":92,"slug":93},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":95,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":96,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":98},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":100,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":101,"show_sort_weight":102,"slug":103},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":105,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":106,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":110,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":111,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":115,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":116,"slug":117},18,30,"letters",{"id":119,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":121,"slug":122},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":124,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":126},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":128},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":129,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":130,"doc_module":22,"category_id":115,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":131,"file_id":132,"file_url":133,"file_type":134,"file_size":135,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":90,"language":136,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":137,"faqs":138,"seo_title":139,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":140,"read_time":33},24464137899374,"https://us-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_3d24733baf745e90a7e4bdd5f77d97b2","Debt Collection FAQs  \nFederal [Trade Commission | consumer.ftc.gov](Trade Commission | consumer.ftc.gov)  \nWhen a debt collector calls, it’s important to know your rights and what you need to do. The FTC enforces the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), which makes it illegal for debt collectors to use abusive, unfair, or deceptive practices when they collect debts.  \nWhat types of debts are covered?  \nYour credit card debt, auto loans, medical bills, student loans, mortgage, and other household debts are covered. Business debts are not.  \nCan debt collectors contact me anytime or any place?  \nNo. Debt collectors can’t contact you at inconvenient times or places. They can’t contact you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., unless you agree to it. They also can’t contact you at work if they’re told you’re not allowed to get calls there.  \nHow can a debt collector contact me?  \nDebt collectors can call you, or send letters, emails, or text messages to collect a debt.  \nHow can I stop a debt collector from contacting me?  \nSend a letter by mail asking for contact to stop (make yourself a copy before you do) . You might want to send it by certified mail and pay for a “return receipt” so you have a record the collector received it. Once the collector gets your letter, it can only contact you to confirm it will stop contacting you, or to tell you a specific action, like filing a lawsuit, will be taken. If you are  \nrepresented by an attorney, and inform the collector, the collector must communicate with your attorney, not you, unless the attorney fails to respond within a reasonable period of time to the communication from the debt collector.  \nYou might want to talk to the collector at least once, even if you don’t think you owe the debt or can’t repay it immediately. That way you can confirm whether it’s really your debt. If it is your debt, you can find out from the collector more information about it. In talking with a debt collector, be careful about sharing your personal or financial information, especially if you’re not already familiar with the collector.  \nCan a debt collector contact anyone else about my debt?  \nA debt collector generally can’t discuss your debt with anyone but you or your spouse. If an attorney is representing you, the debt collector has to contact the attorney. A collector can contact other people to find out your address, your home phone number, and where you work, but usually can’t contact them more than once.  \nWhat does the debt collector have to tell me about the debt?  \nA collector has to send you a written “validation notice” within five days of first contacting you. The notice has to say:  \n● how much money you owe  \n● the name of the creditor you owe it to  \n● what to do if you don’t think it’s your debt  \nWhat if I don’t think I owe the debt?  \nYou can send a debt collector a letter saying you don’t owe any or all ofthe money, or asking for verification of the debt. If you send the letter within 30 days of getting the validation notice, the collector has to send you written verification of the debt, like a copy of a bill for the amount you owe, before it can start trying to collect the debt again. You also can get a collector to stop contacting you, at any time, by sending a letter by mail asking for contact to stop.  \nWhat are debt collectors not allowed to do?  \nThey can’t harass you. For example, they can’t:  \n● threaten you with violence or harm  \n● use obscene or profane language  \n● repeatedly use the phone to annoy you  \nThey can’t lie. For example, they can’t:  \n● misrepresent the amount you owe  \n● lie about being attorneys or government representatives  \n● falsely claim you’ll be arrested, or claim legal action will betaken against you if it’s not true  \nThey can’t engage in unfair practices. For example, they can’t:  \n● try to collect interest, fees, or other charges on top of the amount you owe, unless the original contract or your state law allows it  \n● deposit a post-dated check","cbCailcTToIdXQ3P","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCailcTToIdXQ3P","pdf",252620,"English","# Debt Collection FAQs\n## Covered Debts and Contact Rules\n## Stopping Contact and Dealing With Validation\n## Prohibited Practices and Payment Allocation\n## Lawsuits, Garnishment, and Statute of Limitations","[{\"question\":\"What kinds of debts are covered under the FTC’s FDCPA guidance?\",\"answer\":\"Credit card debt, auto loans, medical bills, student loans, mortgage, and other household debts are covered. Business debts are not.\"},{\"question\":\"How can I stop a debt collector from contacting me?\",\"answer\":\"Send a mail letter requesting contact to stop, ideally with certified mail and a return receipt. After receiving it, the collector may only confirm it will stop or inform you of a specific action such as a lawsuit.\"},{\"question\":\"What must a debt collector tell you about the debt?\",\"answer\":\"The collector must send a written validation notice within five days of first contacting you. It must state how much you owe, the creditor’s name, and what to do if you don’t think the debt is yours.\"}]","Debt Collection FAQs - Understand Your Rights Under the FDCPA | PDF",1789566769]