FTC Provides Annual Letter Summarizing Debt Collection Activities

The Federal Trade Commission has provided the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) with its annual summary of activities to protect consumers in the debt collection arena.

The summary is used by CFPB in its annual report to Congress on the activities of both agencies, which share law enforcement responsibility in this area.

In the summary, the Commission highlights its debt collection work to protect individuals and small business consumers, including:

• settlements and/or completed trials in cases against two debt collection operations that, the FTC charged, used a variety of illegal tactics to target small businesses with threats about supposed debts;
• halting collections of millions of dollars in student debt that originated from illegal financing practices;
• bringing two cases against companies for using dark patterns to lock consumers in unwanted subscriptions that can add to their debt burdens;
• actions to combat unlawful practices that add to car debt, including the finalized CARS Rule and a law enforcement action against a car dealership group;
• providing tens of millions of people with educational materials, in both English and Spanish, informing them about their rights, and educating debt collectors about their responsibilities, under the FDCPA and FTC Act.