Statistics for August 2026 consumer litigation filings are in, and the picture is a mixed one: some statutes rose while others fell. Nonetheless, one trend for 2026 is becoming unmistakable: filings remain up substantially across the board compared to the same period last year.
According to a report by WebRecon, court filings under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) both increased in August compared to July, while filings under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) complaint volume both declined.
WebRecon reports the month-over-month statistics for consumer litigation in August as follows:
- 365 FDCPA cases were filed, representing a 4.0% increase from July;
- 198 TCPA cases were filed, representing an 11.9% increase from July;
- 968 FCRA cases were filed, representing a 14.7% decrease from July; and
- 20,953 complaints were filed with the CFPB, representing a 17.4% decrease from July.
Despite the mixed month, the longer-term trends remain significant. Compared to the same period in the prior year (January 1 to August 31, 2025), all four categories are up substantially year-to-date: FCRA +42.4%, TCPA +20.2%, FDCPA +10.2%, and CFPB complaints +19.6%.
If this holds over the next few months, 2026 will mark the second year in a row of substantive increases in FDCPA litigation, following a solid decade of declining numbers.