From 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026, people sent 324,907 debt collection complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The most common problem, in 43% of them, was a collector trying to collect a debt the person said they did not owe. Below is what that public data shows, and what the CFPB says the rules are when a debt collector contacts you.
What these numbers count, and what they do not
Every figure on this page comes from the CFPB Consumer Complaint Database, a public database. We read the complaints received in those 12 months on 19 October 2026; the data was last updated on 18 October 2026.
Keep three things in mind when you read the numbers:
- Complaints are not a survey. The CFPB says the complaints are not necessarily representative of all consumers' experiences, and the database is not a statistical sample. The numbers show what people complained about, not how often each problem happens overall.
- Companies get a say first. A complaint is published only after the company responds, confirming a commercial relationship, or after 15 days, whichever comes first.
- Most people do not know the type of debt. In 63% of the complaints the person chose "I do not know" for the kind of debt. Where a type was named, the largest groups were other debt (39,398), credit card debt (36,907, or 11%), rental debt (12,215), telecommunications debt (12,185), medical debt (8,064) and auto debt (5,854).
The most common problems
The CFPB sorts each complaint by the main issue the person picked:
- Attempts to collect debt not owed: 140,826 (43%)
- Took or threatened to take negative or legal action: 79,904 (25%)
- Written notification about debt: 52,400 (16%)
- False statements or representation: 35,294 (11%)
- Communication tactics: 9,162 (3%)
- Electronic communications: 4,656
- Threatened to contact someone or share information improperly: 2,665
Debt that is not yours: the validation notice and the 30-day dispute
Inside the largest group, the single most common complaint was Debt is not yours: 90,130 complaints, 28% of all debt collection complaints. Another 38,222 (12%) said the debt was the result of identity theft, 9,696 said the debt was already paid, and 2,778 said it had been discharged in bankruptcy.
The CFPB's answer starts with the validation notice. A debt collector sends it as its first communication or within five days after it, by mail or electronically. It includes:
- the name of the creditor and the account number, if there is one;
- an itemization of the debt: interest, fees, payments and credits;
- the current amount of the debt;
- how to reply if the debt is not yours or the amount is wrong;
- an end date for a 30-day period when you can dispute the debt.
If you dispute the debt in writing within that 30-day period, the collector must pause collecting the amount you dispute until it responds with verification. Once it has sent verification, it can continue. The CFPB warns that failing to dispute in writing, or in time, can affect your rights under the debt collection rule. It also says that if you do not owe a debt or have already paid it, it is important to take action to contest it.
The notice itself is a common complaint too. Within "written notification about debt", 32,923 people said they did not receive enough information to verify the debt, 10,752 said the notice did not disclose it was an attempt to collect a debt, and 8,725 said they did not receive notice of their right to dispute.
Threats about your credit, lawsuits and arrest
The second-largest group, 79,904 complaints, was about a collector taking or threatening negative or legal action. In 93% of those (74,019) the person said the collector threatened or suggested their credit would be damaged.
Fewer complaints described the most serious threats: 2,046 said a collector threatened to sue over very old debt, 1,467 said they were sued without being properly notified of the lawsuit, and 613 said a collector threatened arrest or jail if they did not pay. Among the false-statement complaints, 940 said someone impersonated an attorney, law enforcement or a government official, and 246 said a collector told them not to respond to a lawsuit it had filed.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) prohibits abusive, unfair or deceptive practices by debt collectors. Two points from the CFPB matter here: asking a collector to stop contacting you will not necessarily stop a lawsuit, and stopping contact does not make the debt go away.
Calls, texts and emails
Complaints about contact itself were smaller in number: 4,539 about frequent or repeated calls, 3,254 from people who told a collector to stop and say it kept trying, 960 about obscene, profane or abusive language, 409 about calls before 8am or after 9pm, and 2,920 about frequent or repeated messages.
What the CFPB says the rules are:
- Debt collectors are generally prohibited from contacting you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
- A collector is presumed to violate the law if it calls you about a particular debt more than seven times within seven days, or within seven days after a phone conversation with you about that debt. This covers phone calls only, not texts or emails, and there may be exceptions, such as when you agreed to more calls.
- Collectors may not harass you, and may not post publicly about a debt on social media. If you have an attorney, they generally must contact the attorney instead of you.
To stop contact, the CFPB says to write the collector a letter saying so, keep a copy, and send it by certified mail. After that, the collector may still write to confirm it will stop, or to say that it or the creditor may take other legal action, such as a lawsuit. You could still owe the debt.
Wrong amounts
Within false statements or representation, the biggest complaint by far was Attempted to collect wrong amount: 33,546 complaints, 10% of all debt collection complaints. The validation notice's itemization of interest, fees, payments and credits is the place to start: line it up against your own statements and records.
If the debt is yours and the amount is right, the question becomes how to pay it down. The site's calculators show what different monthly payments do to a balance, with interest charged monthly at APR / 12:
- How long will your credit card take to pay off?
- How long does paying only the minimum take?
- Does a debt consolidation loan actually save money?
How companies responded
Company responses to the same complaints were recorded as:
- Closed with explanation: 239,523 (74%)
- Closed with non-monetary relief: 72,794 (22%)
- Closed with monetary relief: 423
- Untimely response: 7,574
- In progress: 4,593
Companies responded on time to 313,501 of the complaints (96%).
Collector profiles
The same CFPB data, one collector at a time: the top problems by year, how each company responded, and the complaint total for 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2026.
- Caine & Weiner Complaints: What the CFPB Data Shows: 8,946 complaints in 3 years
- Credit Collection Services Complaints: The CFPB Data: 16,802 complaints in 3 years
- I.C. System Complaints: What the CFPB Data Shows: 12,236 complaints in 3 years
- Midland Credit Management Complaints: The CFPB Data: 35,845 complaints in 3 years
- National Credit Systems Complaints: What the CFPB Data Shows: 11,651 complaints in 3 years
- Portfolio Recovery Associates Complaints: The CFPB Data: 32,531 complaints in 3 years
- Resurgent Capital Services Complaints: The CFPB Data: 41,063 complaints in 3 years
- Spring Oaks Capital Complaints: What the CFPB Data Shows: 7,829 complaints in 3 years
- Transworld Systems Complaints: What the CFPB Data Shows: 9,990 complaints in 3 years
Frequently asked questions
What is a debt collector?
The CFPB says a debt collector is generally a person or company that regularly collects debts owed to others. That includes collection agencies, lawyers who collect debts as part of their business, and debt buyers: companies that buy past-due debts and then try to collect them.
How long do I have to dispute a debt?
The validation notice gives an end date for a 30-day dispute period. If you dispute in writing within that period, the collector must pause collecting the disputed amount until it sends verification.
How often can a debt collector call me?
Generally not before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., and a collector is presumed to violate the law if it calls about a debt more than seven times within seven days. That presumption covers calls, not texts or emails.
Does a stop-contact letter make the debt go away?
No. The CFPB says stopping contact does not make the debt go away, you could still owe it, and it will not necessarily stop a lawsuit.
How do I file a complaint about a debt collector?
You can submit a complaint to the CFPB online. The CFPB sends it to the company, companies generally respond in 15 days (some give a final response in 60 days), and the complaint is published without information that directly identifies you.
Sources and how to use this page
- CFPB Consumer Complaint Database: debt collection complaints received 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026, data last updated 18 October 2026, read on 19 October 2026.
- CFPB, Ask CFPB answers on debt collectors, validation notices, disputes, phone calls and stop-contact letters.
- CFPB, the complaint process page.
This page explains public data and the CFPB's published answers. It is educational content, not financial or legal advice: read the disclaimer. For the full set of tools, see the Debt Calculators.