The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is a federal law that makes it illegal for debt collectors to use abusive, unfair or deceptive tactics to collect your debt, including:
- Harassing or threatening you
- Disclosing what you owe to anyone but your attorney
- Making false statements, like lying about how much you owe or the consequences you could face for not paying
The FDCPA also requires debt collectors to give you “validation information” on request. If you request validation of a debt, they must give you details such as their name and the amount you owe, within five days.