topic Collection Agencies using facebook to find debtors...wow. in Rebuilding Your Credit

Collection Agencies using facebook to find debtors...wow.

mocha82 — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:26:00 GMT

I was in shock by this. A collection agency sent a PM to me regarding a relative's debt asking that I have the person to give them a call regarding a pending case against them. The guy pretended to be an investigator. It should be illegal for them to use social networks and contact your friends/family regarding a person's personal business. I couldn't believe that they did this.... CA's are stooping very low these days.... I couldn't believe it. Anyone else have this happen to them ?

Re: Collection Agencies using facebook to find debtors...wow.

Anonymous — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:36:07 GMT

About a year ago.. a CA called me stating they knew who I worked for, what location I worked it, and how long I worked there (Thanks to my company requiring us to be listed under the company network on facebook). Sure enough, they tried to garnish my check. I was stupid to think that since I was private on facebook that no collector would find me up there.

Re: Collection Agencies using facebook to find debtors...wow.

mocha82 — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:45:56 GMT

That's crazy.... I think it should be illegal.

Re: Collection Agencies using facebook to find debtors...wow.

golfingmama — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 02:59:44 GMT

I thought collectors aren't allowed to contact "third party's", ex. A person's work or relative. I swear I read something along those lines on here...going to research it now Does anyone know what "skip tracing" is & how it works?

Re: Collection Agencies using facebook to find debtors...wow.

Walt_K — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 03:36:54 GMT

I thought they could contact 3d parties but only for the sole purpose of trying to locate the person. Putting aside the 3d party issue, I don't see why it should be illegal for debt collectors to contact you on facebook. You can still notify them to cease communication if you want.

Re: Collection Agencies using facebook to find debtors...wow.

mocha82 — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:00:10 GMT

@Walt_K wrote:
I thought they could contact 3d parties but only for the sole purpose of trying to locate the person. Putting aside the 3d party issue, I don't see why it should be illegal for debt collectors to contact you on facebook. You can still notify them to cease communication if you want.

The debt isn't my debt. They contacted me to get in contact with a distant relative about her debt.

Re: Collection Agencies using facebook to find debtors...wow.

Walt_K — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:37:58 GMT

Understood. But I also understood (perhaps misunderstood) your reply to the other poster who did seem to be posting about his/her own debt to suggest that it should be illegal for CAs to use facebook to contact people. That's why I said putting aside the 3d party issue, I don't think it should be illegal.

But even for the 3d party issue, I don't think it's that big a deal. I'd be annoyed if a collector was contacting me constantly especially if I said not to contact me again. But one message wouldn't bother me. My brother trashed his credit. I've received a handful of phone calls asking if I know how to get in touch with him. I just ask that they not contact me again. I don't think I've ever been contacted by the same collector twice.

Re: Collection Agencies using facebook to find debtors...wow.

MBOhio2 — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 18:28:41 GMT

Ths doesn't shock me at all. And honestly, I think it's very savvy (albeit annoying) on the part of the CA. Let's face it, in today's society, FB is a major form of communication right along with phone, email, etc. I would be curious to know the #s of existing landlin phones vs. FB accounts in the US. I haven't had a landline phone in 8 years.

Regardless, as the owner of your FB account, it's your responsibility to take the precuations to protect your information so unwanted people can't contact you.