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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Doing it Wrong: Or is it? (UPDATED)
20 May 2011
State Lawmakers Pass Bill on Collection Garnishment
20 May 2011
Debt Collection Technology Firms Await FDCPA Clarity
19 May 2011
New Consumer Bureau to Roll Out Integrated Complaint System
18 May 2011
Doing it Wrong with Fake Anne Murray
13 May 2011
Banks Offer $5 billion to Settle Robo-Signing Probe: Wall Street Journal
11 May 2011
Unclear Scam Story Implicates Collections Industry
3 May 2011
You're Doing it Wrong: Misrepresenting the Collection Industry
29 April 2011
FTC Panel 4: That Time My Mind Was Blown or Is Email Considered Mail?
28 April 2011
FTC Panel 2: Please Stop Calling EVERYONE
28 April 2011
FTC Panel 1: Criminal Charges and the FDCPA?
28 April 2011
Debt Collection 2.0: Opening Remarks; "Take my wife, please!"
28 April 2011
Zero Damages: A Hollow Victory for Plaintiffs in Jerman v. Carlisle
25 April 2011
Target Likely Headed to Class Action Lawsuit Over Debt Collection
21 April 2011
W.Va. Supreme Court to Decide if Collection Agencies can be Sued as Creditors
20 April 2011
Philly Police Inspector Authorized Violence to Collect Debt
20 April 2011
The Unique World of Small Business Credit Card Collections
18 April 2011
Debt Collection Firm Cohen & Slamowitz Recovers Money for Victims of Mortgage Fraud Scheme
18 April 2011
ARM Industry Well-Represented at FTC Debt Collection Technology Workshop
13 April 2011
You're Doing it Wrong: The FTC's Animated Consumer Video
8 April 2011