IN GENERAL, A DEBT COLLECTOR OR CREDITOR MAY NOT DISCLOSE PERSONAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU OR YOUR DEBTS TO OTHERS.
Has a debt collector or creditor disclosed or revealed personal information about you or your debts to other people?
Under the FCPA, debt collectors not allowed to contact others in reference to your debt or a debt they believe you owe, except for:
- Your spouse
- Your attorney
- A consumer reporting agency (if permitted by local law)
- The creditor
- The creditor’s attorney
- Their own attorney
However, if a creditor or debt collector believes that another person may have your current telephone number or address, they may contact that person to ask for or verify that information. What they cannot do is contact the other person more than one time, unless given permission to do so, or disclose information about the amount of the debt or to whom it is owed, unless specifically asked by the third party. The creditor or debt collector may contact the third party again, without permission, only if they believe that the third party has updated information about how to contact you.
Debt collectors are also prohibited from publishing information about debtors where it is accessible to the general public. Unfortunately they may report personal information about you and the debt you allegedly owe to credit reporting agencies who may then furnish the information to a limited number of people including persons it has reason to believe intend to use the information for the purposes of:
- Employment
- Insurance underwriting
- Eligibility for a license issued by a governmental
- In connection with a credit transaction
If a debt collector or creditor has disclosed or revealed personal information about you or your debts to others, please contact our office at 1-800-219-3577, for a free, no obligation consultation.