Debt collection agencies are third-party entities that collect unpaid debts on behalf of creditors who issued the debt. For example, if you have an outstanding balance with ABC Credit, they may hire the services of XYZ Recovery Services to collect the debt. If you have never dealt with a debt collector before, you may feel confused about how they get your phone number, especially since they are not a company you have interacted with. Here are some ways a debt collector can obtain your phone number.
Original Creditor
When the original credit card issuer, lender, or service provider assigns or sells the account to a debt collector, they also provide account information, including your contact details. Any phone number you provided to your creditor will also be available to the debt collector.
Your Credit Report
Your credit report contains your most recent contact information, including your address and phone number. Your current creditors provide your information to credit bureaus, who ensure it is included in your credit report. Since debt collectors have access to your credit report, they can obtain your most recent contact information from it.
Note: You can file a dispute with credit bureaus to update any incorrect personal information.
Caller ID
Thanks to caller ID, debt collectors can get your number if you call them first. For example, if you received a letter in the mail and called from your mobile phone to inquire about the debt. Once you give them your name or reference number from the letter, they save the phone number you called from along with your account information. Don’t be surprised if debt collectors start calling you at the number from which you initially contacted them, even if it is not your primary phone number.
A Person You Know
A neighbor, friend, family member, employer, spouse, ex-spouse, or someone else who knows you may have provided your phone number to the debt collector. Debt collectors use a process called “skip tracing” to obtain phone numbers and other contact information for individuals who owe debts. They identify people who know you and gather as much information about you as possible. The debt collector may create a sense of urgency, claiming they need to speak to you about an important business matter and indirectly ask for your number, such as, “Is Susan’s number still 123-4567?” Friends who wish to help you might give the collector your phone number.
Note: Debt collectors are legally allowed to contact other people to find out your whereabouts or obtain your phone number. However, they are typically allowed to contact these individuals only once.
The Internet
You might try to keep your phone number private, but it’s not easy to hide it, especially when many companies are in the business of collecting and selling consumer information. You would be surprised at the amount of information that can be found about you using search engines. Collectors can easily search online to find your phone number listed in directories, public records, or social media sites. If you have an uncommon name, it is often easier to find information about you online.
Dealing with Debt Collector Calls
Part of the debt collector’s job is to locate you. They are trained to use various tactics to find people, whether they are hiding or not. Unless you move frequently and change your phone number regularly and don’t give your number to anyone, you are likely not going to avoid debt collectors for very long.
They may
You are angry because they found your number and started calling you, but the best course of action in this case is to deal with it. You can stop collection calls from that agency by sending a message asking them to stop contacting you. If the debts are yours (and you have the right to ensure that), paying the amount owed is another option that ensures you won’t have to deal with calls about those debts again.
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Sources:
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “What is a Debt Collector and Why Are They Contacting Me?”
TSI, Transworld Systems. “What is Skip Tracing for Debt Collection?”
Federal Trade Commission. “Debt Collection FAQs.”
Source: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/how-did-a-debt-collector-get-my-phone-number-960581
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