The Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act took effect on March 4, 2026, restricting how credit bureaus can share mortgage-related “trigger leads.” It does not ban all mortgage marketing or make every unwanted call or text illegal. Other federal protections address certain robocalls, texts and lead-generation practices, and consumers can take practical steps to limit contact and report suspected violations.
What changed under the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act?
Congress enacted the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act, Public Law 119–36, on September 5, 2025. The law’s effective-date provision set the start at 180 days after enactment: March 4, 2026. It amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act’s rules for prescreening connected to residential mortgage transactions. Read the statute.
How mortgage trigger leads work
When someone applies for a mortgage, a credit bureau may receive an inquiry connected with that transaction. A “trigger lead” is a prescreening report furnished to another party based on that mortgage-related request. The report can prompt competing lenders or other businesses to contact the consumer. The new law restricts when a consumer reporting agency may furnish such a report; it does not prohibit every contact made after a mortgage application.
Who may still receive a report
The statute permits furnishing in specified circumstances, including when the recipient documents the consumer’s authorization. It also provides exceptions for certain existing relationships: the consumer’s current residential mortgage originator, current mortgage servicer, or an insured depository institution or credit union that holds a current account for the consumer. The statute also calls for a Government Accountability Office study on the value of trigger leads received by text. The law’s text describes the limits and exceptions.
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What the law does not prohibit
The law addresses a particular credit-report data pathway. It is not a blanket ban on mortgage advertising, lender outreach, or all calls and texts associated with a mortgage application. A call that follows an application may come from a trigger lead, but it may also have another source. Whether an unwanted contact violates a rule depends on how it was made, what consent exists, whether an opt-out was honored, and which laws apply.
Other federal rules can restrict certain automated calls and prerecorded messages, and federal law prohibits specified malicious caller-ID falsification. Those protections have definitions, consent requirements and exceptions; “all robocalls are illegal” is not an accurate summary. The FTC notes, for example, that some purely informational robocalls may be legal. FTC guidance on telemarketing and robocalls.
Other protections for calls and texts
Lead-generator consent and texts
In December 2023, the FCC adopted rules addressing lead-generator consent for robocalls and robotexts. For comparison-shopping lead generation, the FCC described a consent standard tied to one seller at a time. The action also confirmed that Do Not Call protections apply to text messages and provided for blocking certain texts after Commission notification. These rules address practices beyond the credit-bureau reporting pathway covered by the mortgage law. FCC announcement on lead-generation and text protections.
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Revoking consent
FCC rules adopted in 2024 recognize that consumers may revoke consent in any reasonable manner. That can include replying “STOP” or using a similar standard response to a text, or using an interactive mechanism during a call. Covered callers must honor revocation within a reasonable time, no later than ten business days. A sender may send one confirmation text. FCC rule on revoking consent.
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What to do about mortgage spam calls and texts
For a marketing text
If the message offers an opt-out, replying STOP is a recognized reasonable way to revoke consent for covered messages. Keep a copy of the message and your response, particularly if similar texts continue. A STOP reply is not a guarantee that every sender or every kind of message is covered by the same rule.
For a sales robocall
The FTC advises hanging up on sales robocalls. Pressing a key to reach a person or supposedly remove yourself may lead to more calls. FTC advice on robocalls.
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Use call blocking or labeling
Carrier and phone-based call-blocking or labeling features can help reduce robocalls, but no filtering option promises to stop every unwanted or illegal call. The available approach depends on your service and phone type:
- Mobile phone: Check the handset’s call-screening or blocking settings and ask your carrier what filtering or labeling it offers.
- Traditional landline: Ask the phone provider about available call-blocking or screening features.
- Internet-based home phone: Check with the service provider for its filtering options and setup instructions.
The FTC describes call-blocking and labeling as tools that can reduce robocalls. FTC guidance on blocking robocalls.
Report unwanted calls or texts
You can submit a complaint to the FCC about unwanted calls or texts. The Commission says complaints help it identify trends and may inform policy or enforcement, but it does not resolve individual complaints. Save details such as the date, number shown, message content, caller identity if known, and any opt-out request and response. FCC Consumer Complaint Center.
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An unwanted solicitation is not automatically a proven violation. Relevant facts may include whether the call was automated or prerecorded, what consent you gave, whether you asked for contact to stop, who made the call, and the rules that apply. Federal sources cited here do not establish a state-by-state remedy guide.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How enforcement fits in
Federal agencies have pursued alleged illegal telemarketing and lead-generation practices, but enforcement announcements should not be mistaken for a finding that every similar call is unlawful.
Response Tree
The FTC’s case summary says that on January 2, 2024, the Department of Justice, on referral from the FTC, filed a complaint alleging that a California lead generator and its president used more than 50 websites, including for supposed mortgage refinancing and other services, to collect consumer information and generate calls—including calls to numbers on the Do Not Call Registry. The FTC summary describes a proposed order that would ban specified telemarketing activity. The complaint’s claims are allegations, and the proposed terms should not be presented as a final finding without confirmation of the case’s current status. FTC Response Tree case summary.
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In 2023, the FTC announced Operation Stop Scam Calls, a nationwide sweep involving more than 100 federal and state enforcement partners and more than 180 actions targeting operations responsible for billions of calls. The FTC said the actions included cases involving lead generators that misrepresented consent and VoIP providers that facilitated illegal calls. The “more than 180 actions” figure is the FTC’s announcement statistic, not a count specific to mortgage spam. FTC announcement on Operation Stop Scam Calls.
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