Consumer litigation activity produced another month of divergent results in July 2026, with WebRecon’s latest data showing declines across nearly every category except the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). FCRA filings increased 15.6% from June, reaching 1,134 cases, while Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) filings fell sharply by 29.2% and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) filings declined 3.6%. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) complaints also dropped considerably, falling 18.9% from June. Despite the broad monthly pullback, year-to-date (YTD) figures across all three statutes remain up by double digits compared to 2025, reinforcing that July’s declines have not meaningfully altered the elevated litigation environment that has persisted throughout the year.
TCPA class actions also declined as a percentage of overall TCPA filings, representing 61.0% of cases compared to more than three-quarters of filings in June. Although this represents the lowest proportion reported by WebRecon in recent memory, class actions continue to comprise a substantial majority of TCPA litigation and create disproportionate exposure relative to overall filing volume. Repeat plaintiffs also remained a significant factor, with approximately 38% of individuals filing consumer protection lawsuits during the month having previously brought similar actions. Together, these trends demonstrate that even as overall filing volumes decline in certain categories, consumer financial services companies continue to face meaningful litigation risk.
Key Statistics
· Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): 1,134 cases filed in July (14 as class actions, representing 1.2% of filings), a 15.6% increase from June. FCRA filings remain up 44.6% year to date compared to 2025.
· Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA): 351 cases filed (27 as class actions, representing 7.7% of filings), a 3.6% decrease from June. FDCPA filings remain up 10.8% year to date compared to 2025.
· Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA): 177 cases filed (108 as class actions, representing 61.0% of filings), a 29.2% decrease from June. Despite the monthly decline, TCPA filings remain up 24.7% year to date compared to 2025.
· Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Complaints: 21,936 complaints submitted in July, an 18.9% decrease from June. CFPB complaint activity remains up 21.6% year to date compared to 2025.
· Unique Plaintiffs: Approximately 1,470 unique plaintiffs, including multiple plaintiffs in one suit.
· Repeat Filers: About 559 of those plaintiffs, or 38%, had previously sued under consumer statutes.
· Year-to-Date (YTD) Totals: 9,572 total lawsuits filed through July 2026, including 2,635 FDCPA, 6,305 FCRA, and 1,709 TCPA filings. All three categories remain above their respective 2025 YTD totals, with FCRA up 44.6%, TCPA up 24.7%, and FDCPA up 10.8%.
Most Active Courts
· Georgia Northern District Court – Atlanta (170 lawsuits)
· Illinois Northern District Court – Chicago (123)
· California Central District Court – Southern Division – Santa Ana (71)
· California Central District Court – Western Division – Los Angeles (71)
· Florida Middle District Court – Tampa (61)
· Michigan Eastern District Court – Detroit (54)
· Texas Eastern District Court – Sherman (50)
· Texas Northern District Court – Dallas (36)
· Texas Western District Court – Austin (36)
· California Southern District Court – San Diego (35)
Top States for CFPB Complaints
· Texas (4,002 complaints)
· Florida (2,277)
· California (1,688)
· Georgia (1,598)
· North Carolina (908)
· Illinois (869)
· New York (846)
· Arizona (813)
· Pennsylvania (751)
· Alabama (698)
July’s statistics reinforce the uneven but persistently elevated nature of consumer litigation in 2026. FCRA litigation continued its strong upward trajectory, rising for the second consecutive month and remaining nearly 45% above 2025 levels year to date. TCPA filings, by contrast, declined substantially in July, and the proportion of TCPA cases brought as class actions fell from the extraordinary levels seen earlier in the year. Nevertheless, with 61% of TCPA filings still brought as putative class actions, the statute continues to present outsized exposure relative to its overall filing volume. CFPB complaints also declined sharply for the month, but remain more than 20% above 2025 levels year to date. With litigation across each of the major consumer protection statutes continuing to track materially above last year’s levels, consumer finance companies should maintain robust compliance programs, proactively monitor complaint and litigation trends, and remain prepared for sustained consumer litigation risk throughout the remainder of 2026.