It is against the law for the debt collector to disclose, or cause to be disclosed, to your employer the fact that you are in debt unless you agree to this or it is required for the debt collector to perform a legal process involving your employer (e.g. a garnishee on your wages).

Why is a debt collector calling my work?

To put pressure on you to make a payment, debt collectors may call your place of employment. According to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, this is allowed as long as they don’t have prior knowledge that your workplace doesn’t allow calls of this nature.

Can a debt collector call your place of work?

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the law that governs what third-party debt collectors can and cannot do when collecting a debt, says that debt collectors aren’t allowed to call your place of employment if they know or should know your employer doesn’t approve of them calling your job.

Can a debt collector be a bailiff or enforcement agent?

Most creditors will stick to contacting you by phone or letter. A debt collector is not the same as an enforcement agent or bailiff. Debt collectors have no special legal powers. Debt collectors may work for your creditor, or they may work for a separate debt collection agency.

What are the rights of a debt collector?

Your rights: Debt collectors cannot call you before 8:00 am or after 9:00 pm according to your time zone. They cannot call you an unreasonable amount of times (over and over again on a daily basis). Also, they cannot legally contact you at work if they’ve been told (either orally or in writing) that you’re not allowed to receive calls there.

Can a debt collector contact a third party?

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act allows debt collectors to contact certain third parties, including employers, only to get contact and location information about you. This means that debt collectors can contact your employer to confirm your employment.