Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
A US federal agency that supervises financial institutions and takes consumer complaints about banks, lenders, and financial products.
Also known as: CFPB
Last reviewed: 10 June 2026
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was created by the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 following the financial crisis. It has supervisory, enforcement, and rulemaking authority over banks with assets over $10 billion, as well as non-bank financial companies such as mortgage servicers, payday lenders, and debt collectors. It also administers Regulation E (electronic fund transfers) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act in consumer-facing contexts.
Consumers can file complaints against financial companies at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. The CFPB forwards complaints to the company and publishes responses (anonymised) in its public Consumer Complaint Database. This transparency mechanism creates reputational pressure and informs enforcement priorities. The CFPB has returned billions of dollars to consumers through enforcement actions.
For fraud victims, the CFPB is particularly relevant when a bank refuses to honour an error dispute under Regulation E, when a credit bureau fails to correct a fraudulently opened account, or when a debt collector tries to collect on a debt created by identity theft.
Examples
- A consumer whose bank refuses a Reg E error claim files a CFPB complaint; the bank responds within 15 days and credits the disputed amount.
- A fraud victim uses the CFPB's sample dispute letter to challenge a fraudulent account on their credit file.