How do I tell a fake TCPA demand letter from a real one?
A fake threatens without listing any specific call, cites the statute wrongly or not at all, writes from a webmail address, gives hours to pay, and wants gift cards, crypto or a wire to a person. A real one is specific and traceable.
A fake TCPA demand letter is recognisable by what it leaves out. It has no table of calls with numbers, dates and times, because the sender has no records. It cites the statute wrongly, or cites a statute that does not exist, or none at all. The figure is a round lump sum with no arithmetic under it. The deadline is hours away. The reply address is a free webmail account. The payment method cannot be reversed: gift card, cryptocurrency, or a wire to an individual. Above all, it discourages you from checking.
Six tells, side by side
| Feature | Real | Fake |
|---|---|---|
| List of calls | Specific numbers, dates, times | Absent or vague |
| Statute | 47 U.S.C. § 227, 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200, a state act | Wrong, invented, missing |
| Figure | Count times $500 or $1,500, shown | Round lump sum |
| Sender | In a state registry, street address, real domain | Webmail, no entity |
| Deadline | Weeks | Hours |
| Payment | After a written release | Now, by gift card or crypto |
The one test that settles it
Your own records. Pull the call and text logs for the dates in the letter from every system that dials or messages for you, including vendors. If the calls are there, the letter is describing something that happened, whatever you think of the sender. If nothing anywhere matches, say so in writing with the exports attached, and the matter either ends or the sender produces the records it has. If the calls are there, the next question is how much are TCPA damages per call.
A verified sender is not the same as a valid claim, and a company that is not a law firm can still send a real letter; see that question.
People also ask
Can a real letter arrive by email?
Yes, and many do, often alongside a posted copy. The medium is not the tell. The content and the sender are.
What should I do with a letter I believe is fake?
Do not pay. Keep it. If it names a real company, write to that company through the address on its own website, not the address in the letter, and ask whether it sent the letter.
Could a scammer know my business made calls?
A scammer sends the same letter to thousands of businesses and some of them make calls. A real letter names the number called and the dates; a scammer cannot.