Under the FDCPA (15 U.S.C. §1692c(c)), you can tell a third-party debt collector in writing to stop contacting you. Once they receive it, they must stop — except to confirm they’re stopping or to notify you of a specific action (like a lawsuit).
Understand the trade-off first
A cease letter stops the calls and letters — it does not make the debt go away, stop credit reporting, or reset anything. By cutting off contact, you may also push the collector to sue sooner (since talking is off the table). Use this when the contact is harassing or you’ve decided to handle it another way (validation, attorney, or you know it’s not yours). If you mainly want to verify the debt, send a validation request instead.
The letter
[Your full name]
[Your address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Date]
[Collection agency name]
[Collection agency address]
Re: Cease communication - FDCPA 15 U.S.C. 1692c(c)
Account / reference number: [number]
To whom it may concern:
Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. 1692c(c), I am requesting
that you cease all communication with me regarding the account above. Do not
contact me by phone, at my home or workplace, or by any other means.
You may contact me in writing only to confirm that you are ceasing communication
or to notify me of a specific action you intend to take.
This letter is not an acknowledgment that I owe this debt.
Sincerely,
[Your signature]
[Your printed name]
How to send it
Send by certified mail with return receipt and keep the proof — you need a record of the date they received it. If contact continues after they’ve received it, document each instance (date, time, number); post-cease contact may violate the FDCPA.
Notes. A cease letter is a blunt tool. If the debt might be near or past the statute of limitations, read time-barred debt before doing anything that could revive it. If you’re being sued or harassed, talk to a consumer-law attorney — many take FDCPA cases at no upfront cost. General information, not legal advice.