Hopkins v. Collecto, Inc. et al.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) prohibits debt collectors from using “any false, deceptive, or misleading representation or means in connection with the collection of any debt.” In this case, the debt collector’s collection letter included an itemization of a consumer’s debt that included line items reflecting “$0.00” in interest and other charges had been applied. The Bureau filed a brief arguing that the collection letter did not violate the FDCPA because this itemization would not mislead a consumer into thinking that interest or fees might be assessed in the future.