Midland Credit Management Complaints: The CFPB Data

From 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2026, people sent 35,845 debt collection complaints about Encore Capital Group, whose family of companies includes Midland Credit Management (filed as ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP INC.) to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The most common problem, in 42% of them, was "attempts to collect debt not owed". Complaints grew each year in this period, from 4,685 in the 12 months to 30 September 2024 to 19,624 in the 12 months to 30 September 2026: the latest year is 4.2 times the first. Below is what that public data shows, how Midland responded, and what the CFPB says your rights are if Midland contacts you about a debt.

This page is educational and informational; it is not financial, investment, tax or legal advice (see the site's disclaimer). A complaint is one person's account: nothing here says that any complaint is true or that Midland broke the law.

Who Midland is

Midland Credit Management (MCM) is part of Encore Capital Group. In the CFPB database, complaints about Encore's companies are filed under ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP INC., so the counts on this page cover the whole group, not MCM alone. MCM's own website says its messages come from a debt collector and lists Atlantic Credit & Finance, Midland Funding and MCM as Encore's family of companies. Its mailing address is in San Diego, California.

Over those 3 years Midland had the 6th most debt collection complaints of any company in the CFPB database: 5.1% of all 700,673 debt collection complaints. Large collectors handle many accounts, and the database does not show how many accounts each company collects, so the counts cannot be read as a rate.

What these numbers count, and what they do not

Every figure here comes from the public CFPB Consumer Complaint Database: the debt collection complaints filed under "ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP INC.", read on 20 October 2026, the day the data was last updated.

The CFPB says complaints are not necessarily representative of all consumers' experiences, the database is not a statistical sample, and it does not verify all the facts alleged in complaints. A complaint is published only after the company responds, confirming a commercial relationship, or after 15 days, whichever comes first.

Complaints by year

1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024: 4,685 complaints. Top issues: attempts to collect debt not owed (2,058), written notification about debt (1,091), took or threatened to take negative or legal action (573).
1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025: 11,613 complaints. Top issues: attempts to collect debt not owed (4,187), false statements or representation (2,693), took or threatened to take negative or legal action (2,030).
1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026: 19,624 complaints. Top issues: attempts to collect debt not owed (8,774), took or threatened to take negative or legal action (4,728), written notification about debt (2,951).

"Attempts to collect debt not owed" was the top issue in every year. The second place changed: "written notification about debt" in the first year, "took or threatened to take negative or legal action" in the latest.

The most common problems

Across all 3 years, by the main issue the person picked:

Attempts to collect debt not owed: 14,984 (42%)
Took or threatened to take negative or legal action: 7,326 (20%)
Written notification about debt: 5,805 (16%)
False statements or representation: 5,320 (15%)
Communication tactics: 1,607 (4%)

Inside the largest group, the most common complaint was Debt is not yours: 10,023 complaints, 28% of all complaints about Midland. Another 4,010 said the debt was the result of identity theft, 636 said it was already paid, and 315 said it had been discharged in bankruptcy.

Other frequent complaints: 5,628 people said Midland threatened or suggested their credit would be damaged, 4,135 said they did not receive enough information to verify the debt, 1,558 said they did not receive notice of their right to dispute, and 5,047 said it tried to collect the wrong amount. 842 said Midland threatened to sue over very old debt, and 478 said they were sued without being properly notified. In addition, 611 people said they told Midland to stop contacting them and it kept trying.

What kind of debt, and where

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 credit card debt (11,343), other debt (1,350), medical debt (134), telecommunications debt (133). The most complaints came from Texas (5,079), Florida (4,266) and California (3,373).

How Midland responded

The company's responses to the same complaints were recorded as:

Closed with explanation: 23,850 (67%)
Closed with non-monetary relief: 11,780 (33%)
In progress: 207 (1%)
Closed with monetary relief: 8

The CFPB recorded a timely response for 35,839 of the complaints (100.0%) and not timely for 6.

Your rights when a debt collector contacts you

These rules come from the CFPB and apply to debt collectors generally, Midland included.

The validation notice. A collector sends it as its first communication or within five days after it, by mail or electronically. It names the creditor and the account number (if there is one), itemizes the debt (interest, fees, payments and credits), gives the current amount, explains how to reply if the debt is not yours or the amount is wrong, and gives an end date for a 30-day dispute period.
The written dispute. If you dispute 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. Failing to dispute in writing, or in time, can affect your rights under the debt collection rule.
Calls. 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 about a debt more than seven times within seven days, or within seven days after a phone conversation about it. This covers calls only, not texts or emails, and there may be exceptions, such as your consent.
No harassment. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) prohibits abusive, unfair or deceptive practices; if you have an attorney, collectors generally must contact the attorney instead.

What to do if Midland contacts you

Read the validation notice. Check the creditor's name, the account number, the itemization and the current amount against your own records. If Midland bought the debt, the creditor named may be a company you dealt with long ago.
Dispute in writing within the 30-day period if the debt is not yours, the amount is wrong or you already paid it. Keep a copy. The CFPB says that if you do not owe a debt or have already paid it, it is important to take action to contest it.
Ask for contact to stop, if you want it to. Write Midland a letter saying so, keep a copy and send it by certified mail. Midland may still write to say that it or the creditor may take other legal action, such as a lawsuit. Stopping contact does not make the debt go away, and it will not necessarily stop a lawsuit.
Complain if something went wrong. You can submit a complaint to the CFPB online; companies generally respond in 15 days (some give a final response in 60 days).

If the debt is yours and the amount is right, the question becomes how to pay it down. The site's Debt Calculators show what different monthly payments do to a balance, with interest charged monthly at APR / 12:

Frequently asked questions

Is Midland Credit Management a real debt collector?

Yes. Midland Credit Management's own website identifies it as a debt collector, and the CFPB database lists 35,845 debt collection complaints under "ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP INC." in 3 years. Being a real company does not mean a particular debt is right: check the validation notice.

Why is Midland contacting me about a debt I do not recognise?

"Debt is not yours" was the most common complaint about Midland (10,023). The CFPB says debt buyers buy past-due debts and then try to collect them, so the original creditor may be a different company. The validation notice names the creditor; if the debt is not yours, dispute it in writing within the 30-day period.

Sources

CFPB Consumer Complaint Database: product "Debt collection", company "ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP INC.", complaints received 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2026, data last updated and read on 20 October 2026. Complaint counts are re-read every quarter.
CFPB, Ask CFPB answers on debt collectors, validation notices, disputes, calls and stop-contact letters.
Midland Credit Management's own website (midlandcredit.com), for who the company is.
All debt collectors in the same data: Debt Collector Complaints: What the CFPB Data Shows.