{{OPERATOR_NAME}}
{{OPERATOR_ADDRESS}}
{{OPERATOR_CITY}}, {{OPERATOR_STATE}} {{OPERATOR_ZIP}}

{{TODAY}}

{{CREDITOR}}
{{CREDITOR_ADDRESS}}

**Re: Formal debt validation request — FDCPA §809 (15 U.S.C. §1692g)**

This is not a refusal to pay. This is a formal request under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. §1692g(b), for validation of the alleged debt referenced below. Under §1692g(b), you must cease collection activity on this debt until you provide the validation requested. All further communication regarding this account must be in writing, sent to the address on this letterhead.

**Account information as reported:**
- Original creditor as stated: {{ORIGINAL_CREDITOR}}
- Alleged current owner: {{CREDITOR}}
- Account number (last 4): {{ACCOUNT_LAST4}}
- Alleged balance: {{BALANCE}}
- Date of alleged first delinquency: {{DOFD}}

**Validation I am requesting under §1692g(b):**

1. **The amount of the debt** and the calculation of that amount (original principal, all fees, all interest, all payments applied to date).
2. **The name and address of the original creditor** (if different from the current owner).
3. **Documentation that this debt is owed by me** — a copy of the original signed contract, application, or the account statements from the original creditor that show the debt was mine.
4. **If this debt was sold or assigned to your organization, documentation of the chain of assignment** from the original creditor to you — not a summary or affidavit, the actual assignment records.

**Important — please note the following:**

- I am NOT waiving my right to dispute this debt. I am requesting validation.
- I am NOT admitting the debt is mine or that the amount is correct.
- I am NOT making any payment or partial payment on this alleged debt. Under the law of many states (including {{OPERATOR_STATE}}), a payment on a time-barred debt can restart the statute of limitations. I am not doing that here.
- I will not accept a verbal response, a form letter that simply asserts the debt is owed, or an affidavit that summarizes assignment history without the underlying documents.

Under FDCPA §807 (15 U.S.C. §1692e), continuing to attempt to collect this debt after receiving this validation request — without providing the requested validation — is a violation and may subject your organization to statutory damages under §1692k. Under FCRA §623(a)(8)(E), continuing to report this debt to any credit reporting agency without noting it as disputed is also a violation.

**If you cannot validate this debt:** please respond in writing confirming that (a) collection activity has ceased, and (b) if applicable, that you have notified the credit reporting agencies of the disputed status per FCRA §623(a)(8)(E). Note: §1692g does not by itself require you to delete a reported tradeline, only to cease collection until validation is provided. Deletion of the tradeline may be pursued separately through FCRA §611 dispute channels.

Sincerely,

_______________________
{{OPERATOR_NAME}}

*Sent via USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt Requested. Retain your green certified receipt and the returned white return-receipt card as your legal audit trail.*

---
*This letter is a consumer self-help template, not legal advice. If your dispute is complex, if you are being sued on this debt, if you receive a response you don't understand, or if you are unsure whether the statute of limitations has expired in your state, consult a consumer-rights attorney BEFORE responding or making any payment. Many FCRA/FDCPA cases are taken on contingency (no up-front cost). Find one via https://www.naca.net/find-an-attorney or your state bar's lawyer referral service.*
