Build a Claude FDCPA Compliance Knowledge Base

Before opening Claude, collect these (remove any client or consumer PHI first):

• Your agency's FDCPA compliance policy document
• Approved letter templates (dispute acknowledgment, C&D response, first notice)
• State-specific calling hours (many states differ from FDCPA federal defaults)
• Your dispute and verification procedure
• Any CFPB guidance your agency has shared in training

Save each as a text file or PDF.

1. Log into claude.ai (must be Claude Pro — Projects require paid plan)
2. Click Projects in the left sidebar
3. Click + New Project
4. Name it: "FDCPA Compliance Base — [Agency Name]"
5. Click Create

1. Inside the project, look for Add content or a file upload button
2. Upload each document
3. Claude confirms when each is added to project knowledge

What you should see: Your documents listed in the project knowledge panel. Claude can now reference them in every conversation in this project.

In the project's Custom Instructions or System Prompt field, add:

You are a compliance reference assistant for [Agency Name], a third-party debt collection agency operating under FDCPA, Reg F, and TCPA.

When I ask compliance questions, answer based on the documents uploaded to this project — not generic FDCPA summaries. If the answer isn't in the uploaded documents, say so clearly and suggest I check with the compliance officer.

When helping draft letters, always check uploaded templates first. Flag any content I request that might create FDCPA risk — even if I don't ask about compliance.

Never provide legal advice. Describe what the relevant rules say. For legal interpretation, recommend consulting legal counsel.

Click Save.

Start a conversation inside the project and ask:

"Can I call a consumer in California at 7pm on a weekday?"

What you should see: Claude answers based on your uploaded state calling hours document — not a generic "it depends" answer. If your document specifies California-specific rules, you get those specific rules.