You have the right to force the debt collector to prove you owe the money. Debt validation is your federal right granted under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). To request debt validation, you must send a written request to the debt collector within 30 days of being contacted by the collection agency.

What if a collection agency never contacted me?

If you find a collection account that you don’t recognize listed, you can dispute it with the credit bureau(s) reporting it, preferably in writing. If the credit reporting agency cannot confirm it with the source (the company reporting it), within 30 days, in most cases, it must be removed.

What happens if you ask for debt verification?

If you request verification within the verification period, the collector must provide you with “verification of the debt.” The law does not state exactly what information the debt collector must provide. Unfortunately, many courts have determined that the collector can provide very little to you in response to your request for verification.

Do you need a debt validation letter to pay a debt?

Before you pay a dime to a debt collector, confirm that the debt belongs to you. Debt collectors are legally required to send you a debt validation letter, which outlines what the debt is, how much you owe and other information.

Do you have to send proof of debt to debt collector?

You have the right to ask them to send proof of that debt. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, a federal law regulating debt collectors, allows you to request the debt collector to send proof of the debt through a process called debt validation.

What to do if you think you are not responsible for a debt?

You Can Write to Request Verification of Your Debt In the event that you believe you are not responsible for the debt in question, you can send a verification letter to the debt collection company asking for additional verification — read: proof — that the debt belongs to you.