The CFPB published two bulletins today purporting to hold all entities under its jurisdiction accountable for unlawful debt collection practices.  The first bulletin, here, proclaims that “It doesn’t matter who is collecting the debt — unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices are illegal”, and emphasizes that both third-party collectors and creditors are responsible.  The CFPB will be examining (1) Collecting additional amounts, such as interest, fees, and charges that are not permitted by the agreement creating the debt or by law; (2) threatening action that is not intended or is unauthorized, including threats of lawsuit or imprisonment; (3) Falsely representing the character, amount, or legal status of the debt; (4) Misrepresenting that debts would be waived or forgiven if they accepted a settlement offer; (5) Failing to post payments timely or properly.   The second bulletin, here, warns companies to avoid deceptive statements concerning the impact of paying a debt on a consumer’s credit score, credit report, or creditworthiness. The CFPB provided examples of such potentially deceptive claims. The CFPB also is working on a new rule related to debt collection.