Debt Collectors May Now Contact Consumers by E-mail, Text, and Social Media

Boise, Idaho. - The Department of finance is advising Idaho consumers that debt collectors may now use non-traditional avenues to communicate with consumers when attempting to collect a debt. These avenues may include friend requests and private messages on social media channels including Facebook, text messages, and e-mail. This change is part of a new rule under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) approved by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that went into effect on November 30, 2021. The Rule applies to attempts to communicate, communications, and other conduct by debt collectors occurring on or after that date, regardless of when the underlying debt was incurred. These changes to the FDCPA represent the first updates to the Act in more than 40 years.

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