Debt validation letter

Under 15 U.S.C. §1692g, a debt collector's first communication must tell you about your right to dispute the debt. If you dispute in writing within 30 days, the collector must stop collection activity until it mails you verification of the debt. That pause is the practical power of the letter.

Debt buyers frequently purchase portfolios with thin documentation. A validation request tests whether the account paperwork actually exists before you pay anything.

• The name and address of the original creditor
• The full account number as it appeared with the original creditor
• An itemised balance: principal, interest, fees, and how each was calculated
• Documentation showing the collector owns or is authorised to collect the debt
• A copy of the original signed agreement or account statements
• Confirmation of whether the debt is within your state's statute of limitations
• The collector's licence number in your state, where licensing applies

The collector must either validate or stop. Many stop. Where validation does arrive, review it against your own records: a mismatched balance, a wrong original creditor, or an account that was never yours is both a defence and a potential claim under the FDCPA and the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

If the collector keeps calling before validating, log every contact. Collection activity during the validation pause is a violation in its own right.

A validation letter asks for proof and keeps the conversation open. A cease and desist letter under §1692c(c) ends contact entirely, but does not test the debt and can push a collector toward suing rather than calling. Where the debt looks wrong, validate first. Where the harassment itself is the problem, send the cease and desist and keep a violation log.