Which act is violated when a debt collector contacts a debtor’s parents without permission?

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is designed to eliminate abusive debt collection practices and to ensure that debt collectors treat consumers fairly. One of the key provisions of the FDCPA is that it restricts the ways in which a debt collector can communicate with third parties regarding a debtor's debt.

When a debt collector contacts a debtor's parents without permission, it is typically a violation of the FDCPA, which explicitly states that debt collectors may not communicate with third parties about a debtor's financial obligations without consent. This law seeks to protect consumers’ privacy and prevent embarrassing situations that could arise from unsolicited disclosures about debts.

In contrast, the Truth-in-Lending Act focuses primarily on ensuring that consumers receive clear and accurate information about the terms and costs of credit. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act generally pertains to consumer credit reporting and fraud detection rather than direct communication practices by debt collectors. The assertion that no federal law is violated overlooks the specific protections laid out in the FDCPA that govern how debt collectors are allowed to interact with individuals beyond the debtor themselves. Thus, the notion that no federal law has been violated fails to acknowledge the relevant provisions of the FDCPA that aim to safeguard consumer rights in regard to debt collection practices.