Debt collectors are strictly regulated under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which protects consumers against unfair, deceptive, and abusive debt collection.
Consumers frequently complain about debt collectors trying to collect on old debts. In fact, debt buyer Asset Acceptance paid $2.5 million dollars to settle a FTC lawsuit, which alleged that Asset Acceptance failed to tell consumers that certain debts were too old to be legally enforceable.
The FTC released a guide to help consumers understand old debts, here are some key things to know.