Minnesota Federal Court Dismisses FDCPA Lawsuit Involving Text Messages and Hyperlinks 

A federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota has dismissed a lawsuit alleging that text messages containing embedded hyperlinks to collection letters violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).  In Christianson v. Advantage Collection Professionals, LLC, plaintiff Joshua Christianson initially alleged that receiving text messages with embedded hyperlinks to collection letters violated the FDCPA because he had not provided prior express consent. The plaintiff […]

Understanding State Requirements for Medical Debt Collections

Medical debt affects an estimated three in 10 U.S. adults, and for collection professionals who work these accounts, that statistic comes with a compliance landscape that continues to grow more complex. State laws governing financial assistance, billing, and collections vary widely, and accounts receivable management (ARM) companies serving healthcare clients must understand which requirements apply to the accounts they handle.  A recent Commonwealth Fund report examining state laws highlights how […]

Texas Medical Debt Reporting Law Preempted by Federal Credit Reporting Law

The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas has granted partial summary judgment to the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA) in Consumer Data Industry Association v. State of Texas, finding that the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) expressly preempts a Texas law restricting the reporting of certain out-of-network emergency medical debts.  The court determined that Section 1681t(b)(1)(E) of the FCRA preempts Texas Business & Commerce Code Section 20.05(a)(5) […]

SBA Refers $34 Million in Past-Due SVOG Debt to Treasury for Collection 

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has referred $34 million in past-due Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) awards to the U.S. Department of the Treasury for collection. According to the SBA, this marks the first time the federal government has taken this step for the SVOG program.  The referrals are part of SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler’s ongoing efforts to recover pandemic-era funding that the agency says was awarded improperly or […]

CFPB to Stop Publishing Unverified Consumer Complaint Narratives

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced Aug. 14 that it will stop publishing unverified consumer complaint narratives and data visualizations on its Consumer Complaint Database.  In a statement, the bureau said publishing complaint narratives is “entirely discretionary” and that “many years of experience have demonstrated that the utility of such publication is minimal, while often causing confusion and providing misleading data.”  The CFPB noted that complaint narratives present only […]

FTC Halts Credit Repair Scheme That Allegedly Scammed Consumers Out of Nearly $200 Million

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and an Arizona federal district court have temporarily halted a credit repair operation that allegedly impersonated legitimate debt collection companies and creditors and collected nearly $200 million in illegal fees from consumers.  According to the court complaint, Credit Glory and 16 related entities allegedly made false and misleading claims about their credit repair services, impersonated debt collection companies and creditors, collected illegal upfront fees, and […]

Financial Services Groups Urge FCC to Strengthen Caller ID Authentication Requirements 

A coalition of 13 leading financial services trade associations filed joint comments on the Federal Communications Commission’s proposed Know-Your-Upstream-Provider and caller ID authentication requirements. The groups emphasized that voice service providers should be held accountable for verifying callers before assigning the highest-level caller ID trust signal.  The coalition expressed support for the FCC’s efforts to combat illegal robocalls and impersonation fraud while calling for additional requirements for voice service providers […]

Indiana Supreme Court Declines Review of FDCPA Case

The Indiana Supreme Court has declined to review a case involving the application of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) to law firms representing creditors and debt collectors.  By denying the petition for transfer, the court leaves in place the Indiana Court of Appeals’ ruling that Reiling, Teder & Schrier LLC (RTS) did not violate the FDCPA by relying on information and affidavits provided by its client when filing a collection lawsuit.  The […]

Consumer Litigation Activity Remains Elevated Through June 2026

Consumer litigation activity remained elevated in June 2026, with filings under major consumer protection statutes showing mixed month-over-month trends, according to the latest WebRecon Litigation Report. While some categories experienced slight declines, year-to-date litigation remains significantly higher than the same period in 2025.  The report highlights continued increases in lawsuits filed under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), along with elevated complaint […]

FCC Proposes New Rules to Strengthen the Robocall Mitigation Database

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to adopt a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) on July 28, 2026, that would strengthen and modernize the Robocall Mitigation Database (RMD), a key tool in preventing illegal robocalls from entering U.S. telephone networks.  The proposal is part of the FCC’s ongoing efforts to improve robocall mitigation and caller authentication while increasing accountability for voice service providers. The FNPRM has not yet been […]