Debt Collection Agency Complaints Surge As CFPB Changes

March 29, 2026 11:59 pm
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Debt collection complaints filed with the CFPB have sharply increased over the last several years, even as the bureau’s authority, priorities, and processes are being reshaped under the current administration.

What the “surge” looks like

  • One analysis of CFPB data found more than 630,000 debt collection complaints submitted from 2021 through early 2026, with a peak in September 2025.

  • CFPB’s own 2025 Consumer Response Annual Report shows about 207,800 debt collection complaints in 2024, nearly double the roughly 109,900 logged in 2023.

  • Industry commentary notes that total CFPB complaints across products more than doubled from 2023 to 2024, with debt collection a major contributor to that growth.

What consumers are complaining about

  • Around 45% of CFPB debt collection complaints involve attempts to collect a debt the consumer says they do not owe, often tied to identity theft, mixed files, or misattributed accounts.

  • Consumers also report repeated or harassing calls, failures to validate debts, and collectors continuing to pursue debts after cease-and-desist requests.

  • Many narratives describe fraudulent accounts leading to collection activity and frustration when credit reporting agencies or collectors will not remove disputed items even after receiving police or FTC identity theft reports.

How CFPB is changing under Trump

  • With Donald Trump back in office, policy analysts widely expect a retreat from the more aggressive rulemaking and enforcement posture seen under Director Chopra, and a pivot toward a more industry‑friendly, “strategic” oversight model.

  • Early 2025 White House direction instructed agencies not to issue new rules or significant actions without high‑level approval, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, as Acting CFPB Director, reportedly told staff to halt work on investigations, litigation, rulemaking, rule enforcement, and public communications pending review.

  • The administration has also explored more fundamental changes to the CFPB’s structure and funding, with litigation and political efforts aimed at constraining the agency’s independence and potentially shuttering or downsizing core functions, though court orders have so far blocked outright closure.

Tension between complaint volume and access to CFPB

  • Collection industry participants note that changes to the CFPB’s complaint process appear to make it harder or more cumbersome for some consumers to get government help, adding steps before a complaint can be filed.

  • At the same time, consumers are increasingly relying on the CFPB’s portal as a primary channel to contest debts and credit reporting problems, which is driving the elevated complaint counts despite any added friction.

  • This creates a tension: rising complaints signal growing household stress and potential violations, while policy changes may weaken the bureau’s ability or willingness to use that data for supervision and enforcement.

Implications for collectors and issuers

Area Key impact in this environment
Supervision focus Less rulemaking, but complaints still feed exam and monitoring priorities, especially around “debt not owed,” identity theft, call practices.
Enforcement risk Some aggressive cases may stall or be reassessed, yet high‑profile or clearly abusive practices (scams, repeat violators) can still draw actions once leadership settles.
Litigation/private risk Elevated complaint volume provides fodder for class actions, state AGs, and UDAP theories even if federal enforcement slows.
Operational expectations Stronger front‑end validation, identity theft controls, accurate furnishing, and responsive dispute handling remain critical despite a more lenient federal tone.

Debt collection complaints filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) have been running high, and some advocates worry recent changes could make it harder for people to get help.

A new analysis by the Kaplan Group, based on CFPB complaint data, suggests a large share of those complaints is concentrated in a handful of states. Dean Kaplan, president of the Kaplan Group Incorporated, a commercial collection agency, said he is watching what is happening at the CFPB, especially around how consumers submit complaints. “The whole idea for this complaint system was try to resolve the problem first with whoever you have the issue with. If that doesn’t work, now you can go to the government and they’ll help you. But what’s happening now is it’s kind of getting harder to actually go to the government and get help with these changes,” Kaplan said. Consumer advocacy groups have also raised concerns about changes they say could add more steps before some people can file certain complaints with the CFPB.

The Kaplan Group said it analyzed more than 630,000 debt collection complaints filed from 2021 through early 2026, with a peak month in September 2025. “The number of complaints tripled to 5x over the last couple of years,” Kaplan said. Kaplan said consumers worried about errors should start with their credit file. Credit reports can be checked for free at least once a year. He also recommended taking issues up directly with the company reporting it and with the credit bureaus, and keeping records of what is submitted and when. The Kaplan Group’s Collection Risk Index lists Texas, Florida, California, Georgia, and New York as the highest-risk states for debt collection complaint concentration.

The CFPB sent a statement defending changes to its complaint portal, saying: “By reminding people of the legal process to fix or investigate their credit, we’re able to help more people.” The agency also said that, by law, people reporting inaccuracies on a credit report first have to report it to a credit reporting agency before the CFPB can open an investigation.

Based on recent CFPB and FTC data, the highest concentrations of debt collection complaints are in a cluster of Southern and Sunbelt states, especially when adjusted for population.

States with highest concentrations

From the most recent public analyses of CFPB and FTC complaint data (2024–Q1 2025), the states that consistently show the highest per‑capita levels of debt collection complaints or call reports include:

  • Georgia

  • Texas

  • Florida

  • Delaware

Several sources looking at debt collection calls reported to the FTC in Q1 2025 find Georgia with the highest number of debt collection call reports per 100,000 residents, followed by Texas, Florida, and Delaware. These same states also rank high in abusive or threatening debt collection complaint narratives, suggesting concentration of more problematic conduct, not just contact volume.

Raw volume vs. per‑capita

  • In raw numbers, large states such as Texas, Florida, New York, and California generate the most overall debt‑collection‑related complaints simply because of their population size.

  • On a per‑capita basis, Southern states like Georgia and some smaller states such as Delaware rise to the top, with complaint and call rates significantly above the national average.

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