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Harold Mansfield
04-08-2009, 10:33 PM
I couldn't believe my eyes today ! I checked the profile of a new follower on Twitter, and the guy works for a collections agency and is Twittering peoples account information.\He's using real names and businesses and in some instances posting up the amount of the debt, and discouraging people from doing business with them.

I am almost positive that this is illegal. Debt collection is not public record, and I am sure there are laws against harassment that protect people from having their information put on the web like that.

Can't this company be sued back into the stone age ?

Here is the Twitter profile:
David Bain (creditrisks) on Twitter (http://twitter.com/creditrisks)

What do you guys think, is this right ?

vangogh
04-09-2009, 01:12 AM
Wow. That's insane. A lawsuit waiting to happen and I think you may be right about it being illegal. I'll relate something that happened to me last year. I received a bill from a collection agency for back taxes from a dozen years ago when I lived in Connecticut. It wasn't anything I ever knew about. It was a tax that went into effect the last year I lived there, but I had actually moved out of the state prior to the end of the year and didn't owe the state the taxes.

Some collection agency tracks me down 12+ years later and tells me I owe the state a few hundred dollars. I made a few calls, found out I didn't owe, and faxed a few documents to prove I had moved out of the state when I did.

I can imagine how this moron would be Twittering that I was a bad credit risk or whatever and how it could have affected my business now. Ridiculous. I hope the guy gets sued very soon for putting that kind of information out on Twitter.

KristineS
04-09-2009, 12:42 PM
I can't believe that. It's outrageous. With all the regulations in place about how and where creditors can contact you, I can't believe this is legal. Although, it could be a loophole. Maybe Twitter is still new enough that there aren't any rules about how it can be used in cases like this.

vangogh
04-09-2009, 02:21 PM
Looks like it is illegal. I found this article, What actions must a collections agency avoid (http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/business-operations/debt-collection-credit/debt-collection-actions-avoid.html)

Here's the relevant part:


Harassment or abuse: Agents can not threaten or use violence against the debtor or another person. They can not use obscene or profane language. They can not publish a debtor's name on a "blacklist" or other public posting. Agents can not call repeatedly or contact the debtor without identifying themselves as bill collectors.

Hopefully the people who's names have been tweeted find out and tak action.

Harold Mansfield
04-09-2009, 03:12 PM
Looks like it is illegal. I found this article, What actions must a collections agency avoid (http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/business-operations/debt-collection-credit/debt-collection-actions-avoid.html)

Here's the relevant part:



Hopefully the people who's names have been tweeted find out and tak action.

I was completely outraged. I even blew the dust off of an old blog to write a quick article about it just so I could bookmark it around the regular places.
I also sent CNN an email on it.

I knew I wasn't crazy, this is way out of control. If I get any feedback on the issue or see someone on it, I'll check back in.