Expert: Apex Credit Services, LLC - 12/29/2007

Question
Due to the privacy act, you can not discuss other people personal business with other people without their express consent. Keeping this in mind, with my phone company and other companies, they ask me for specific information like the last four numbers of my ss number so that I would more than likely be the only one to know. This insures that they do not reveal my personal business to unauthorized persons.
I have found that debt collectors do NOT ask for any kind of security verification before giving out my personal information. I even had one debt collector leave a message with one of my son's friends who answered the phone at my house, telling him that I needed to pay up the $$$ before my credit was irreparable! Are debt collectors exempt from this law?

Answer
Bill:

    Yes and no.  Debt collectors are allowed some latitude when trying to locate a debtor but, they are not allowed to call anyone and everyone when looking under the auspices of the FDCPA.  Actionable claims often arise when a consumer can show that a debt collector is calling friends and relatives (or even neighbors) with the "intent" to abuse and harass.

     You are correct in large part however, insofar as debt collectors should at least ask to whom they're speaking with before reading their scripts.

            Apex Credit Services, LLC