Debt validation and debt verification - Any difference?

Always ask for validation before you start negotiating on the debt.

There is no difference between them.
According to the Federal Debt Collection Practices Act, you have right to challenge the validity of the debt that a collection agency claims you owe to them. Thus, you need to send them a letter asking the agency to verify whether or not you actually owed the debt.

On the other hand, debt verification is that a collection agency should start the process by proving that the debt is actually yours.

There is a BIG difference between the two.

You can ask collection agencies to validate your debts in writing. But you can't ask creditors to validate your debt. You can only ask creditors to verify your debt.