Debt collection complaints filed with the Federal Trade Commission more than doubled in 2025, jumping 114% to 471,142 reports from 220,424 a year earlier, according to a new analysis of FTC data from NumberBarn, a phone number management company. The more troubling figure may be this one: 47% of last year’s complaints were flagged as abusive, threatening, or harassing, a 177% increase over the roughly 80,000 similar complaints logged in 2024.
The numbers do not distinguish between legitimate collectors and scammers impersonating them, and a complaint is not a finding of wrongdoing. But the sheer volume, and the geographic concentration of the activity, offers a roadmap for where regulators and plaintiffs’ attorneys may be looking next.
Georgia leads the nation in complaints per capita, at 310.9 reports per 100,000 residents, followed by Texas, Florida, and Louisiana. Those same states also rank among the highest for complaints alleging abusive or threatening conduct. At the city level, Atlanta tops the per capita rankings, with Dallas, Houston, Miami, and Memphis rounding out the top five.
Every state saw complaint volumes rise in 2025, and some increases were dramatic. West Virginia posted the largest year-over-year jump at 190.5%, with Arkansas, Texas, Rhode Island, and North Carolina all climbing more than 165%. Texas stands out for combining the nation’s second-highest per capita complaint rate with one of its fastest growth rates, up 172.1%. Houston led all major metros with a 179.4% increase, followed by Dallas at 167.9%.
The demographic picture will be familiar to anyone in the accounts receivable management industry. Consumers between 30 and 39 filed the most complaints, followed by those in their 40s and 20s, age groups juggling mortgages, auto loans, student debt, and childcare costs. Complaint volume falls off sharply among consumers over 70.
The study also connects complaint activity to debt loads. Maryland, Arizona, Virginia, and New Jersey all carry above-average household debt and rank among the top 20 states for complaints per capita. Average household debt nationwide now stands at $63,200, with Colorado, California, and Washington reporting the highest balances.
The report attributes the surge to a mix of rising delinquencies, increased collection activity, and growing consumer awareness of how to file complaints with the FTC. Whatever the cause, the trend line is unmistakable: after complaint volumes bottomed out at 113,349 in 2022, they have climbed for three consecutive years, with the steepest acceleration coming in the past 12 months.
