Under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, every collector contacting you in Buffalo or anywhere in New York must, on written request, provide proof the debt is yours, the amount is accurate, and they are legally authorized to collect it.

Once you send a validation request within 30 days of first contact, the collector must cease all collection activity — calls, letters, credit reporting — until they produce documentation. Continuing to collect is a per-violation FDCPA violation worth up to $1,000 in statutory damages.

New York, like every state, has a statute of limitations on debt collection. Suing on or demanding payment for a time-barred debt is itself an FDCPA violation in most circuits.

A properly drafted validation letter creates a paper trail, often forces the collector to abandon the account (because they can't produce the underlying paperwork), and gives you grounds for a counter-claim if they sue.