The CBE Group is a Cedar Falls, Iowa collection agency founded in 1933. It collects for government agencies (including as one of the IRS's private collection agencies), student loan holders, utilities, phone and cable companies, healthcare providers and banks.
- Type
- Collection agency
- Also known as
- The CBE Group, Inc.; CBE Group; CBE Companies
- Headquarters
- Cedar Falls, IA
- Collects
- federal tax debts (IRS private collection program), federal student loans, government fines and accounts, utility bills, telecommunications and cable bills, medical bills, credit card accounts
- Phone numbers it lists
- (800) 925-6686, (800) 910-5837, (866) 912-1312, (866) 985-4766
- Website
- cbegroup.com
2,125 debt collection complaints were sent to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about The CBE Group, Inc. from November 13, 2023 to November 12, 2026. A complaint is a consumer's account, not a finding that the company broke the law. Read the complaints in the CFPB database.
Who Is The CBE Group?
The CBE Group, Inc. provides debt recovery, accounts receivable and outsourced contact center services. Its About page says CBE Companies was founded in 1933 and is based in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it lists offices in Clarksville, Tennessee; New Braunfels, Texas; and the Philippines. The website gives NMLS ID 948339 for license lookups.
CBE is also one of three private collection agencies the IRS currently lists for its private debt collection program, with the address P.O. Box 2217, Waterloo, IA 50704 and the phone number (800) 910-5837.
Why The CBE Group May Be Contacting You
CBE's website says it serves government (including tax and fines), utilities, telecommunications, healthcare, retail and financial services clients. Its payment page sorts accounts into types, which is a good clue to what yours is:
- Federal taxes: (800) 910-5837. CBE's page says all tax payments are made directly to the IRS. The IRS says you will first get IRS Notice CP40 and then a letter from the agency, both carrying a taxpayer authentication number you can use to confirm the contact is real.
- Federal student loans: (866) 912-1312.
- Other government accounts: (866) 985-4766.
- Medical, cable, phone, utility, credit card or college accounts: paid through CBE's online portal; if you are unsure which type you have, CBE lists (800) 925-6686.
How to Check a Debt The CBE Group Says You Owe
Checking a CBE account depends on which kind of creditor is behind it.
- For an IRS account: confirm through the IRS itself. The IRS says the CP40 notice comes before contact from the private agency, and CBE's own page says tax payments go directly to the IRS, not to CBE.
- For a consumer account (utility, phone, medical, card): use the validation notice required by 15 U.S.C. § 1692g and 12 C.F.R. § 1006.34, which must name the creditor and itemize the balance, and send a written dispute within the validation period if anything looks wrong. Ask who owns the debt now.
- Compare to your records. Match the account number to an old bill, and check for deposits, final credits, or insurance payments that were never applied.
- Know which deadlines apply. Texas generally allows four years to sue on an ordinary consumer debt (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004), and debt buyers cannot sue on time-barred consumer debt in Texas (Tex. Fin. Code § 392.307). Federal student loans and federal taxes follow their own federal collection rules, and other states set different limitation periods for private debts.
What The CBE Group Can and Can't Do
When CBE collects consumer debts owed to its clients, it is a "debt collector" under 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6). For those accounts:
- It may not call you more than seven times in seven days about one debt (12 C.F.R. § 1006.14(b)(2)), or at an hour it knows is inconvenient.
- It may not falsely suggest it is a government agency or that you will be arrested (15 U.S.C. § 1692e(1), (4)), even when the account is a government one.
- It must accept a written request to stop contacting you, subject to limited exceptions (15 U.S.C. § 1692c(c)).
- Texas does not allow wage garnishment for ordinary consumer debt. Defaulted federal student loans are different: the U.S. Department of Education can use administrative wage garnishment and other federal tools. See our update on student loan involuntary collections.
If a CBE contact about a consumer account seemed improper, see our Texas FDCPA attorneys page.
We Sue Debt Collectors That Break the FDCPA
Texas Debt Law files Fair Debt Collection Practices Act lawsuits against debt collectors in federal court for consumers in Texas, California, Illinois, Georgia and Colorado. If The CBE Group or anyone collecting for it harassed you, misstated what you owe, threatened action it could not take, or told others about your debt, you may have a claim. A court can order a collector that violated the FDCPA to pay your actual damages, up to $1,000 in additional statutory damages, and your attorney's fees and costs (15 U.S.C. § 1692k(a)). An FDCPA claim generally must be filed within one year of the violation (§ 1692k(d)), so keep your letters, call logs, voicemails and screenshots, and talk to us early. Texas residents may also have claims under the Texas Debt Collection Act. Learn more from our FDCPA attorneys.
Free FDCPA Case Review(214) 851-2250
Or start your free case evaluation online. No lawyer can promise a result; every claim depends on its facts and proof.
Sources
- CBE Group: home page
- CBE Group: About
- CBE Group: Make a Payment
- IRS: Private debt collection
- CFPB Consumer Complaint Database: The CBE Group, Inc., debt collection
This profile is general information compiled from public sources, not legal advice, and it does not state or imply that The CBE Group has violated any law. Company details change; tell us if something here is out of date. Lea este perfil en español.