Keeping Your Personal Business Private From Bill Collectors
Debt collectors have gone to a new low. They are no longer simply satisfied with calling debtors at all times of the day or night and sending threatening letters, they are now trolling the internet so they can find out debtor’s personal information. Many debt collectors are using social networking tools such as Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace and Twitter to track down delinquent debtors, “friend” them and then pry personal information out of them.
Below are a few tips on how to protect yourself from these shameless debt collectors:
Keep your Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and Twitter Accounts Set to Private
That way if a debt collector wants access to your personal information they will need to get on your friend’s list first.
Don’t “Friend” People You Don’t Know
If you’re like most people, you probably post a lot of personal information on your social networking page. Debt collectors want access to that personal information and when you friend a stranger it is a possibility they could be a debt collector, so don’t do it.
Don’t List Your Employer’s Name on Your Social Networking Site
If a debt collector finds out where you work through your social networking site, they are one step closer to being able to garnish you wages.
Don’t List Your Address or Phone Number on Your Social Networking Site
Debt collectors want to get in contact with you to harass you via phone or letter, don’t make it easy on them.
While there are rules about how debt collectors are able to communicate with debtors, those rules do not yet cover social networks and the internet in general. Until our laws catch up with our present reality, it will be up to each debtor to protect their private information from the prying eyes of debt collectors. If you feel you are victim of debt collection abuse , you may need to contact an attorney.