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In a NutshellA debt verification letter is correspondence you can send to a debt collector to get more information about a debt or to start the dispute process. If you’re contacted by a debt collector and something doesn’t seem right about the collection agency or the debt itself, you can use a debt verification letter to learn more about the agency and the debt. This can help you dispute debts you don’t actually owe or identify potential debt collection scams.
Written by Your Upsolve Team. Legally reviewed by Attorney Paige Hooper
Updated September 14, 2023
A debt verification letter is correspondence you sent to a debt collector to gather more information about a debt. You’ll usually send this as a follow-up to a debt validation letter. If you disagree with the debt collector’s details about the debt, you can use the debt verification letter to dispute the debt.
These two letters sound similar, and sometimes you’ll hear the names used interchangeably. But there are important differences between these two types of correspondence.
A debt validation letter is a written notice that debt collectors are legally required to send you before they first contact you or within five days after their first contact. This letter should contain key details about the debt, such as the:
The validation letter should tell you when the 30-day validation period ends (more on this later). It should also include a detachable form that you can fill out and return to the debt collector to dispute the debt or request information.
A debt verification letter is a letter you write to a debt collector to dispute a debt or ask for more information about the debt. You typically send this letter in response to receiving a debt validation letter from the collection agency. You can use the detachable form included on the validation notice as a debt verification letter or you can write your own.
Your right to dispute a debt is outlined in the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). This is the federal law that governs third-party debt collection practices.
The main purpose of a debt verification letter is to protect you. This letter is your chance to confirm that the debt is yours, that the debt collector is authorized to collect the debt, and that you’re not paying more than you legally owe.
If you aren’t sure all the information in the debt validation letter is correct, it’s a good idea to dispute the debt until you’re certain. (If you don’t dispute the debt within 30 days, the debt collector can assume that you agree with all the information in the debt validation notice.) Your verification letter puts the debt collector on notice that you dispute the debt. It also shows the debt collector you’re serious and willing to fight against wrongful debt collection.
Legally, there isn’t any specific information debt collectors are required to provide beyond the details required in the debt validation notice. But if the debt collector has the information you request, they’re required to send you a copy.
The most common request in a debt verification letter is for the original creditor’s name and address. Here are some additional questions you may want to ask:
If you send a debt verification letter disputing the debt, the debt collector must respond. They may not be allowed to contact you or report the debt to the credit reporting agencies until they’ve responded (more on that below). Even after the debt collector has responded to your dispute, they must still mark the debt as “disputed” if they report it to the credit reporting bureaus. A debt that’s marked “disputed” won’t affect your credit score while the dispute is being investigated (usually around 30 days).
Send your debt verification letter via certified mail with a return receipt requested. This provides proof of when the letter was sent and when the debt collector received it.
A good debt verification letter should include:
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) provides an excellent downloadable template for a debt verification letter. The CFPB’s template provides several specific questions you can modify to include in your own letter. Use any that are relevant to your specific situation.
