From 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2026, people sent 32,531 debt collection complaints about Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC 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 4,106 in the 12 months to 30 September 2024 to 17,923 in the 12 months to 30 September 2026: the latest year is 4.4 times the first. Below is what that public data shows, how PRA responded, and what the CFPB says your rights are if PRA 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 PRA broke the law.
Who PRA is
Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC (PRA) is the US collection business of PRA Group, whose website lists portfoliorecovery.com as its US site. PRA Group says it acquires nonperforming loans, which is the kind of company the CFPB calls a debt buyer, and that its global headquarters are in Norfolk, Virginia. PRA's own site describes it as a name in debt collection that helps customers resolve their debt with it.
Over those 3 years PRA had the 7th most debt collection complaints of any company in the CFPB database: 4.6% 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 "Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC", 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: 4,106 complaints. Top issues: attempts to collect debt not owed (1,782), written notification about debt (1,021), communication tactics (522).
- 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025: 10,573 complaints. Top issues: attempts to collect debt not owed (4,032), false statements or representation (2,331), written notification about debt (1,769).
- 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026: 17,923 complaints. Top issues: attempts to collect debt not owed (7,961), took or threatened to take negative or legal action (4,641), written notification about debt (2,757).
"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: 13,749 (42%)
- Took or threatened to take negative or legal action: 6,377 (20%)
- Written notification about debt: 5,537 (17%)
- False statements or representation: 4,385 (13%)
- Communication tactics: 1,960 (6%)
Inside the largest group, the most common complaint was Debt is not yours: 9,621 complaints, 30% of all complaints about PRA. Another 3,251 said the debt was the result of identity theft, 564 said it was already paid, and 313 said it had been discharged in bankruptcy.
Other frequent complaints: 5,518 people said PRA threatened or suggested their credit would be damaged, 4,048 said they did not receive enough information to verify the debt, 1,405 said they did not receive notice of their right to dispute, and 4,177 said it tried to collect the wrong amount. 299 said PRA threatened to sue over very old debt, and 325 said they were sued without being properly notified. In addition, 732 people said they told PRA to stop contacting them and it kept trying.
What kind of debt, and where
In 66% 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 (9,312), other debt (1,242), telecommunications debt (124), medical debt (97). The most complaints came from Texas (4,528), Florida (3,915) and California (3,278).
How PRA responded
The company's responses to the same complaints were recorded as:
- Closed with non-monetary relief: 16,519 (51%)
- Closed with explanation: 15,577 (48%)
- In progress: 435 (1%)
The CFPB recorded a timely response for 31,997 of the complaints (98%) and not timely for 534.
Your rights when a debt collector contacts you
These rules come from the CFPB and apply to debt collectors generally, PRA 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 PRA 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 PRA 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 PRA a letter saying so, keep a copy and send it by certified mail. PRA 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:
- 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?
Frequently asked questions
Is Portfolio Recovery Associates a real debt collector?
Yes. Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC describes itself on its own website as a name in debt collection, and the CFPB database lists 32,531 debt collection complaints about it in 3 years. Being a real company does not mean a particular debt is right: check the validation notice.
Why is PRA contacting me about a debt I do not recognise?
"Debt is not yours" was the most common complaint about PRA (9,621). 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 "Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC", 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.
- Portfolio Recovery Associates' own website (portfoliorecovery.com) and PRA Group's website (pragroup.com), for who the company is.
- All debt collectors in the same data: Debt Collector Complaints: What the CFPB Data Shows.