Debt Collection Laws: How to File a Complaint Against a Collection Agency

To report an alleged violation of your rights and file a complaint against a debt collector, start by contacting your state’s attorney general. If your state has its own laws (in addition to federal debt collection laws) governing collection procedures, your attorney general’s office will know.

You can also contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and file a complaint. The FTC does not resolve problems; it records complaints, and looks for patterns and trends about a particular business.

To file a complaint with the FTC about a debt collector’s practices, write to:

• Federal Trade Commission
• Consumer Response Center
• 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
• Washington, DC 20580

You can also file a complaint online in English, or En Español, or, call the FTC’s toll-free helpline at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261.