What is a mini Miranda?

The Mini Miranda and Fair Debt Collections Act

Similar to how law enforcement must read you your rights before an arrest, there are specific protocols third-party debt collectors must follow to ensure you understand the debt-collection process. When a debt collector contacts you by phone or mail, one of the first things they’ll state is the “mini Miranda.” The debt collector will say something like, “This is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.” This statement is a way to make you aware of your rights as a consumer before the conversation begins and is a must for all third-party debt collection purposes.

It’s crucial to understand the mini Miranda when dealing with debt collectors and to know that you have rights when it comes to debt.

When Must Collectors State the Mini Miranda?

Third-party debt collectors are only required to state the mini Miranda before they begin the initial contact with you in each form of communication. The statement is not read before each discussion but applies to every interaction you have with them whether they are writing you a letter or calling you over the phone.

The mini Miranda protects you from saying things that could be used against you by telling you that whatever you say is being recorded. If the third-party debt collector does not include this statement at the beginning of your contact, even if you initiate the contact, they have violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act or FDCPA .

When Do Collectors Waive the Mini Miranda?

The mini Miranda does not have to be stated when you are speaking directly with a creditor. The creditor is the company to which you owe the original debt. If they contact you by phone, email, or in person and identify themselves as the creditor, the company does not need to state the mini Miranda warning.

It’s important to note, however, that if a debt collector contacts you, does not state who they are, and fails to read the mini Miranda to you, they violate the FDCPA. In this instance, you may be able to sue them.

How Does the Mini Miranda Help You?

The mini Miranda exists to help you understand what you shouldn’t say to a debt collector so you don’t incriminate yourself . Anything and everything you say to the debt collector during your correspondence can be used against you to build a case.

Be wary of what you say and what you admit to when speaking to a third-party debt collector. Your words could have serious repercussions.

Many debt collectors thoroughly understand each aspect of the FDCPA, yet that does not stop them from violating its rules. If you believe you have experienced FDCPA violations, you are likely entitled to significant compensation.

A successful claim can award you up to $1,000 for your case and actual damages that could potentially be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Law Offices of Jibrael S. Hindi has experience fighting for debtors and can help you file your complaint today. Speak with our office to determine if you have a case. If you do, we will represent you free of cost! Contact us at 1-844-JIBRAEL to learn how we can help you today.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mini Miranda

What is the Mini Miranda?

When a debt collector contacts you by phone or mail, one of the first things they’ll state is the “Mini Miranda.” The debt collector will say something like, “This is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.” This statement is a way to make you aware of your rights as a consumer before the conversation begins and is a must for all third-party debt collection purposes.

What is the Mini Miranda for first-party collections?

The mini-Miranda warning by debt collectors helps you understand what you shouldn’t say to a debt collector so you don’t incriminate yourself. Anything you say to the debt collector during your correspondence can be used against you to build a case.

What is the Mini Miranda script?

The “Mini Miranda” script read by debt collectors will usually say, “This is an attempt to collect a debt, and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.” The debt collector is required to read this script to make you aware of your rights as a consumer before the conversation begins. The script is a must for all third-party debt collection purposes.

What are Mini Miranda rights?

Be careful of what you say to a debt collector and what you admit to them after receiving the mini-Miranda warning. Many debt collectors understand federal rules but still violate them. If you believe you experienced a violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you’re may be entitled to compensation.

Debt Collection Restrictions Under Federal Law — The «Mini-Miranda Warning»

Collecting debts is an onerous and difficult task and many debt collectors have developed various “tricks of the trade” to both determine assets that a debtor may possess and to convince a debtor to make payment. Some of these methods are perfectly legitimate, such as asset searches and warnings about the effect on a credit record that will ensue due to non-payment.

But, as with most professionals, there are always those that go too far. Debt collectors who intimidate by inappropriate threats, or seek to determine the location of assets by trickery, face both State and Federal law that prohibits and often punishes such activities.

A particularly vicious method to discover assets known to this writer involved the debt collector on the telephone indicating that a relative of the debtor was in the emergency room at the moment, that the caller was the admitting nurse, and that they needed to know the location of the bank account and amount in it before they could admit the relative. Another old trick was to call, state that the caller was a garage towing the car of a teenage son or daughter, and the car would be impounded immediately if proof of ability to pay was not provided over the telephone and asking for banking information, etc.

Such practices have led to increasingly stringent State and Federal restrictions on such debt collection tactics and the topic of this article involves the Federal duty to disclose information to the debtor imposed upon the debt collector, at times known as the “Mini-Miranda Warning,” named after the famous obligation imposed upon police when questioning a suspect.

The Basic Law:

The first notice from the debt collector to the debtor must include a warning known as the «Mini-Miranda Warning,» which must state that the communication is from a debt collector and that any information obtained may be used to collect the debt. Except for pleadings associated with a legal action, all subsequent communication from the debt collector must also include this warning.

See the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act at 15 USC 1692e § 807 False or Misleading Representations, which states:

A debt collector may not use any false, deceptive, or mis­leading representation or means in connection with the col­lection of any debt. Without limiting the general application of the foregoing, the following conduct is a violation of this section:

(11) The failure to disclose in the initial written communi­cation with the consumer and, in addition, if the initial communication with the consumer is oral, in that initial oral communication, that the debt collector is attempt­ing to collect a debt and that any information obtained will be used for that purpose, and the failure to disclose in subsequent communications that the communication is from a debt collector, except that this paragraph shall not apply to a formal pleading made in connection with a legal action.

15 USC 1692a § 803 Definitions

The definitions of terms relevant are:

(1) The term “Commission” means the Federal Trade Commission.

(6) The term “debt collector” means any person who uses any instrumentality of interstate commerce or the mails in any business the principal purpose of which is the collection of any debts, or who regularly collects or attempts to collect, directly or indirectly, debts owed or due or asserted to be owed or due another. Notwithstanding the exclusion provided by clause (F) of the last sentence of this paragraph, the term includes any creditor who, in the process of collecting his own debts, uses any name other than his own which would indicate that a third person is collecting or attempting to collect such debts. For the purpose of section 808(6), such term also includes any person who uses any instrumentality of interstate commerce or the mails in any business the principal purpose of which is the enforcement of security interests. The term does not include—

(A) any officer or employee of a creditor while, in the name of the creditor, collecting debts for such creditor;

(B) any person while acting as a debt collector for another person, both of whom are related by common ownership or affiliated by corporate control, if the person acting as a debt collector does so only for persons to whom it is so related or affiliated and if the principal business of such person is not the collection of debts;

(C) any officer or employee of the United States or any State to the extent that collecting or attempting to collect any debt is in the performance of his official duties;

(D) any person while serving or attempting to serve le­gal process on any other person in connection with the judicial enforcement of any debt;

(E) any nonprofit organization which, at the request of consumers, performs bona fide consumer credit counseling and assists consumers in the liquida­tion of their debts by receiving payments from such consumers and distributing such amounts to credi­tors; and

(F) any person collecting or attempting to collect any debt owed or due or asserted to be owed or due another to the extent such activity

(i) is incidental to a bona fide fiduciary obligation or a bona fide escrow arrangement;

(ii) concerns a debt which was originated by such person;

(iii) concerns a debt which was not in default at the time it was obtained by such person; or

(iv) concerns a debt obtained by such person as a secured party in a commercial credit transac­tion involving the creditor.

(Bolded emphasis added.)

15 USC 1692k § 813. Civil liability

(a) Except as otherwise provided by this section, any debt col­lector who fails to comply with any provision of this title with respect to any person is liable to such person in an amount equal to the sum of—

(1) any actual damage sustained by such person as a result of such failure;

(2) (A) in the case of any action by an individual, such additional damages as the court may allow, but not exceeding $1,000; or *

(3) in the case of any successful action to enforce the foregoing liability, the costs of the action, together with a reasonable attorney’s fee as determined by the court. On a finding by the court that an action under this section was brought in bad faith and for the purpose of harassment, the court may award to the defendant attorney’s fees reasonable in relation to the work ex­pended and costs.

(b) In determining the amount of liability in any action un­der subsection (a), the court shall consider, among other relevant factors—

(1) in any individual action under subsection (a)(2)(A), the frequency and persistence of noncompliance by the debt collector, the nature of such noncompliance, and the extent to which such noncompliance was intention­al; or *

(c) A debt collector may not be held liable in any action brought under this title if the debt collector shows by a preponderance of evidence that the violation was not inten­tional and resulted from a bona fide error notwithstanding the maintenance of procedures reasonably adapted to avoid any such error.

(d) An action to enforce any liability created by this title may be brought in any appropriate United States district court without regard to the amount in controversy, or in any other court of competent jurisdiction, within one year from the date on which the violation occurs.

(e) No provision of this section imposing any liability shall apply to any act done or omitted in good faith in conformi­ty with any advisory opinion of the Commission, notwith­standing that after such act or omission has occurred, such opinion is amended, rescinded, or determined by judicial or other authority to be invalid for any reason.* Sections pertaining to class action omitted.

Practicalities:

While the actual damages are limited in the above section, the deterrence effect on debt collectors is substantial. Note that jurisdiction is vested in the Federal Court which normally requires tens of thousands of dollars at issue before suit can be brought…but in this instance, a large amount is not required to be at issue to bring in the power of the Federal judge.

Federal judges are not happy to find such cases before them and can respond aggressively to the debt collector who knowingly failed to abide by the law. Indeed, the expense of appearing and defending oneself in a Federal court action can be high and few debts warrant that risk. Note that attorneys’ fees are awarded to the debtor…unless the Court finds that the action was only brought to harass the debt collector.

In such a Federal action, attorneys’ fees in excess of one hundred thousand dollars can be expected. Thus, the fight can easily become one over who pays the costs of fight…plus some relatively minor damages.

Again, the purpose is clearly deterrence and the wise debt collector will institute written procedures and instructions to the debt collection department to limit the chances of failure to abide by the law and to show the court, if necessary, that such procedures are in place.

Note that State law can also exist which can impose additional restrictions on debt collection practice.

Mini-Miranda and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

LaToya Irby is a credit expert who has been covering credit and debt management for The Balance for more than a dozen years. She’s been quoted in USA Today, The Chicago Tribune, and the Associated Press, and her work has been cited in several books.

Updated on December 31, 2021

When third-party debt collectors contact you by mail or by phone, one of the first things they’ll say is, «This is an attempt to collect a debt, and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.» This statement is commonly referred to as the «mini Miranda,» because it is similar to the Miranda rights that law enforcement must use to warn suspects of their right to remain silent, the right to an attorney, and the right to a court-appointed attorney if the person can’t afford one.

Instances When the Mini Miranda Must Be Stated

Debt collectors are required to give the full mini Miranda in their initial communication with you, no matter what form.   The first time a third-party debt collector speaks with you on the phone or sends you a letter, the mini Miranda statement must be included. The disclaimer keeps debt collectors from tricking you into giving up information that can be used against you.

If a third-party debt collection agency or collection attorney contacts you and doesn’t give the disclosure, it has violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. That law governs what debt collectors can and can’t do. Also, if a debt collector recited the mini Miranda during a phone conversation in the past, but it now mails you a letter, the law requires debt collectors to repeat the mini Miranda in this first written instance of communication.

Even if you initiate contact with a third-party debt collector, they are still required to read you the mini Miranda. If the debt collector fails to tell you your mini Miranda rights at the beginning of any of these forms of communication, you may have grounds to sue the debt collector.

Instances When the Mini Miranda Doesn’t Have to Be Stated

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act only requires third-party debt collectors to read you your mini Miranda rights. Your creditors have no such obligation under this law. If the company from which you initially borrowed money decides to contact you—whether by phone or by mail—they only need to identify themselves as your original creditor to avoid having to inform you of your mini Miranda rights.

For this exception to apply, the creditor must identify themselves properly as your creditor and not as a third-party agency attempting to collect your debt. If they do not identify themselves accurately and fail to include the mini Miranda statement, they might be in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.​

Understanding How the Mini Miranda Helps You

When you’re under arrest, you must be careful about what you say so as not to incriminate yourself. The same thing goes for talking to debt collectors—anything you say in the conversation can be used to help the debt collectors pursuing you. If you’re dealing with a debt that’s past the statute of limitations for your state, something as simple as an admission that the debt is yours could restart the clock on the statute, giving the collector more time to sue you for the debt.