Central Portfolio Control: What to Do If They Contact You

If Central Portfolio Control (CPC) has appeared on your credit report or is calling you, three specific complaint patterns are worth knowing. A documented consumer case describes CPC calling 12 times per day for three weeks, often after 9 p.m.

A documented CFPB complaint describes a representative threatening to contact a consumer’s parents after being told not to. And a 2018 federal class action alleged CPC’s collection letters failed to correctly identify the original creditor.

CPC is a Minnetonka, Minnesota debt buyer and collector founded in 1998 with 1,100+ CFPB complaints in a single year. This guide covers who they are, what their record shows, and how to respond.

Who Is Central Portfolio Control?

Central Portfolio Control, Inc. is a nationally licensed debt collection agency founded in 1998 in Minnetonka, Minnesota. CPC operates as both a third-party contingency collector and a debt buyer. They are not BBB-accredited and have accumulated over 80 BBB complaints and 1,100+ CFPB complaints in the past year alone.

Multiple consumer attorney sources confirm CPC is not known for filing lawsuits against consumers, though they do threaten legal action in documented complaints.

Why CPC Is on Your Credit Report

CPC handles a broad range of consumer and commercial debt. Their documented account types include:

• Auto loans: Vehicle financing deficiencies and repossession balances.
• Credit cards: Charged-off bank and retail card accounts.
• Student loans: Private and some federal student loan balances.
• Mortgages: Home loan deficiencies.
• HOA fees: Homeowners Association assessments.
• Equipment leasing and commercial accounts: B2B receivables.
• Bank overdraft accounts: DDA account deficiencies.

CPC also purchases debt from other collection agencies, meaning some accounts have already changed hands multiple times before reaching them.

The 2013 Minnesota Department of Commerce Action

In October 2013, the Minnesota Department of Commerce targeted CPC’s collection agency license for attempting to collect on payday loan debt that originated with unlicensed lenders. In Minnesota, payday loans made by unlicensed lenders are void and legally uncollectable. The FDCPA prohibits collecting amounts not expressly permitted by law.

CPC paid a $2,000 civil penalty and agreed in writing that the violation occurred. If CPC is pursuing a debt that originated with a payday lender, confirm whether that lender was licensed in your state before paying anything.

The 2018 Original Creditor Identification Class Action

In Norton v. Central Portfolio Control (E.D. Wis., 2018), a class action alleged that CPC’s collection letter identified the wrong company as the original creditor. Under the FDCPA, a collection letter must accurately disclose the name of the original creditor. Identifying the wrong creditor is a material misrepresentation.

If you received a CPC letter and the original creditor listed does not match the account you recognize, document that discrepancy. A consumer protection attorney can evaluate whether the misidentification constitutes an FDCPA violation.

The Documented Harassment Patterns

Consumer complaints and documented cases describe specific CPC tactics:

• Excessive calls. A consumer case describes CPC calling 12 times per day for three weeks, regularly after 9 p.m. Regulation F limits debt collectors to 7 calls within 7 days on the same debt. Calls after 9 p.m. are per se FDCPA violations.
• Threatening arrest. A documented consumer complaint describes CPC threatening arrest over an unpaid credit card debt. Threatening arrest for consumer debt is illegal under the FDCPA.
• Workplace disclosure. A documented case describes CPC calling a consumer’s workplace and telling their supervisor about the debt. Disclosing debt information to a third party violates the FDCPA.
• Threatening to contact parents after being told not to. A 2017 CFPB complaint describes a CPC representative asking to call the consumer’s parents and then threatening to do so after being told no.
• Refusing written communication and payment plans. The same 2017 complaint describes CPC refusing to provide a mailing address or accept payment in installments.

What CPC Cannot Do Under Federal Law

The FDCPA applies to Central Portfolio Control. Under federal law, they cannot:

• Call more than 7 times within 7 days on the same debt: Regulation F limits.
• Call after 9 p.m. or before 8 a.m.: Documented violation pattern.
• Threaten arrest for consumer debt: Documented complaint pattern.
• Disclose debt information to third parties: Including employers and family members.
• Misidentify the original creditor in collection letters: Subject of 2018 class action.
• Collect on void payday loan debt: Subject of 2013 Minnesota regulatory action.

File complaints at consumerfinance.gov. Minnesota residents can also file with the Minnesota Department of Commerce at mn.gov/commerce.

Verify the Debt Before Paying Anything

Send a written debt validation request by certified mail within 30 days of first contact. Ask for the original creditor’s name and address, the account number, the balance at charge-off, and the complete chain of ownership if CPC purchased the debt. Given the 2018 class action specifically over original creditor misidentification, verifying that the creditor on CPC’s letter matches your own records is especially important.

How to Check Your Credit Report for CPC Errors

Pull your credit reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com. Is the balance correct? Is the original creditor accurately identified? Does the same debt appear under a prior collector and CPC as separate negative entries?

Any inaccuracy, including a wrong original creditor name, is grounds for a dispute with each credit bureau.

How Long Can CPC Legally Pursue the Debt?

Minnesota has a 6-year statute of limitations on most consumer debts. If you no longer live in Minnesota, the relevant state is typically where you currently reside. Making a payment or acknowledging the debt in writing can reset the clock.

Your Options for Resolving a CPC Account

Once you have verified the debt, consider your options:

• Check the original creditor: Confirm the lender on CPC’s correspondence matches your own records and was a licensed lender.
• Negotiate a settlement: Because CPC purchases debt at a discount, settlements are common. Get any agreement in writing before paying.
• Request a pay-for-delete: Ask whether CPC will remove the account in exchange for payment. Get it in writing first.
• Dispute if inaccurate: If the original creditor is wrong, the balance is incorrect, or the debt traces to an unlicensed payday lender, dispute with the credit bureaus.

How to Contact Central Portfolio Control

Handle all communication in writing whenever possible:

• Address: Central Portfolio Control, Inc., 10249 Yellow Circle Drive, Suite 200, Minnetonka, MN 55343
• Phone: (800) 670-2545

Bottom Line

CPC has 1,100+ CFPB complaints in a single year and documented patterns of calling after 9 p.m., threatening arrest, disclosing debt to employers, and misidentifying original creditors in collection letters. Their 2013 Minnesota regulatory action also puts payday loan debt on their record.

Verify the original creditor matches your records, document every after-hours call, and report any threat of arrest immediately to the CFPB.