Is this debt collector legitimate?
By Kai Greenspan, Founding Editor · Last updated: July 12, 2026
This page is educational information built on public records, with sources and dates. It is not legal advice. If a collector is threatening you or you believe you are being scammed, the CFPB, the Texas attorney general, and legal aid services take complaints and provide help.
Check 1: is it on the Texas bond register?
Every third-party debt collector must file a $10,000 surety bond with the Texas Secretary of State before collecting in Texas (Finance Code Section 392.101), and the filings are public. Search the collector's name on the official Debt Collector Search; ourstep-by-step guide covers the name-variant traps (companies often file under a slightly different legal name). A collector with an active bond has met the state's one legal entry requirement. Every agency inour verified Texas directory has passed this exact check, with its full filing history shown and linked on its profile.
Check 2: what does its complaint record look like?
The CFPB's Consumer Complaint Database is free, public and searchable, and it records complaints against collectors along with how the company responded. Read it the way the CFPB itself advises: complaints are records, not verdicts, they are not verified before publication, and bigger agencies naturally accrue more of them. What the record is good for: does the company exist, does it respond, and are there patterns. Everyagency profile here shows the agency's all-time debt-collection complaint count, linked to the live CFPB search for that exact company name, so you can read the underlying complaints yourself.
Check 3: has a regulator formally acted against it?
Regulators publish their concluded actions: the CFPB's enforcement database lists every consent order and judgment with the documents, and state regulators publish theirs. A concluded action is an adjudicated public fact, and it cuts both ways: it proves the company is real and regulated, and it tells you something about its history. When a regulator has formally acted against an agency listed in this directory, its profile carries aPublic enforcement record section quoting the regulator's own document, with the document linked, reported neutrally. It does not decide legitimacy, but it belongs in the picture, which is why we publish it.
The CFPB's warning signs of a debt collection scam
The CFPB's guidance is direct: "A legitimate debt collector can tell you their company name and mailing address, as well as information about the debt they say you owe." Its published red flags for a scam: the caller "threatens you with criminal charges"; "refuses to give you information about your debt or is trying to collect a debt you don't recognize"; "refuses to give you a mailing address or phone number"; or "asks you for your personal financial information". The CFPB also notes you are entitled to the debt's details in writing, generally in the initial communication or within five days of it, and it publishes sample letters for requesting them before you pay anything.
CFPB: How do I tell if a debt collector is legitimate or a scam? (last reviewed by the CFPB May 14, 2024), checked July 12, 2026.
Common questions about verifying a debt collector
How do I check whether a debt collector is bonded in Texas?
Search the collector’s name on the Texas Secretary of State’s free public Debt Collector Search. Every third-party debt collector must file a $10,000 surety bond before collecting in Texas, under Texas Finance Code Section 392.101, so a collector genuinely operating in Texas appears on that register. Our verification guide walks through the search, including the name-variant traps; every agency in our directory links its own register filing so the check is one click.
What are the warning signs of a debt collection scam?
The CFPB’s own list of red flags: the caller threatens you with criminal charges; refuses to give information about the debt or collects a debt you don’t recognize; refuses to give a mailing address or phone number; or asks for your personal financial information. The CFPB advises that a legitimate collector can tell you its company name, mailing address, and information about the debt, and that you can request the details in writing before paying anything. Its page, with sample letters, is linked on this page.
Does a high complaint count mean a collection agency is a scam?
No. Complaint counts in the public CFPB database are records, not verdicts: the CFPB notes complaints are not verified before publication, and larger agencies naturally accrue more complaints because they handle more accounts. A legitimate, bonded agency can have thousands of complaints on record. What complaint records are good for is context and patterns, which is why every profile in this directory shows the agency’s all-time count linked to the live CFPB database, alongside its verified bond history.
How do I find out if a debt collector has been punished by a regulator?
Check the regulator’s own enforcement database: the CFPB publishes every action it has concluded, with the order documents, at consumerfinance.gov/enforcement/actions, and state regulators publish theirs. In this directory, when a regulator has formally acted against a listed agency, the agency’s profile carries a Public enforcement record section quoting the action from the regulator’s own published documents, with the document linked. An enforcement record is an adjudicated public fact; it is reported neutrally and does not decide whether an agency is legitimate.
The collector contacting me is not in your directory. Does that mean it is fake?
Not by itself. This directory lists verified third-party agencies with active Texas bonds, and it is still growing; a genuine collector may not be listed yet, may be a debt buyer (which we deliberately do not list), or may operate outside Texas. Absence here is a reason to verify, not a verdict. Run the three checks on this page, starting with the state register, and use the CFPB’s written-validation right before paying anyone.
Related pages
Texas debt collection laws
The bond rule, prohibited practices, fees and the four-year rule, quoted from the statutes.
Wage garnishment in Texas
Why a garnishment threat over consumer debt is itself a red flag in Texas.
Verify a Texas bond
The free five-minute check against the Secretary of State register.
The verified directory
Every agency here has passed the bond check, with sources shown.