question about credit collections

[jodi]

Wondering if anyone knows the answer or can point me to a good site to find out...yesterday, we received a telephone call at my house for a relative who pretty much walked out of our lives about a year ago. He had never lived with us nor used our phone number. It was from a credit agency (I am assuming a collection agency, but I do not know for sure). He did have bad credit, so it would not be a stretch to think he owes someone money. I think I scared the CSR because I picked up the call after she started to leave a message and demanded to know how she had gotten our number. All she would say was that my husband was showing up as a "linked number" on the account. He would NEVER cosign anything for this relative. In fact, we checked his credit report yesterday and it was clean.

Anyone know how they could have gotten our number, unless the relative gave it (which seems to be the only logical reason to me)? We are not listed in the phone book under our own names (it's under my parents - a different last name completely - since we live with them), so they could not have looked it up. Are credit agencies allowed to call families of the person they are looking for? It seems that I remember hearing that they could in order to locate a person, but could not tell you why they were calling. At any rate, I told them that they were not to call here again and they sounded apologetic. I hope it's the last I hear from them, but I still feel uneasy being called in the first place.

[musicalbabe85]

I've gotten calls from collection agencies for a couple relatives before, claiming I was left as the "emergency contact." Yeah. Pretty sure this isn't the case, but I'm really not sure how they got my number either.

[zakity]

I have gotten calls from collection places for my sister. At the time, we were both unmarried and had our maiden names. We had an unique last name and so they picked me out of the phone book.

[Seeker]

Wondering if anyone knows the answer or can point me to a good site to find out...yesterday, we received a telephone call at my house for a relative who pretty much walked out of our lives about a year ago. He had never lived with us nor used our phone number. It was from a credit agency (I am assuming a collection agency, but I do not know for sure). He did have bad credit, so it would not be a stretch to think he owes someone money. I think I scared the CSR because I picked up the call after she started to leave a message and demanded to know how she had gotten our number. All she would say was that my husband was showing up as a "linked number" on the account. He would NEVER cosign anything for this relative. In fact, we checked his credit report yesterday and it was clean.

Anyone know how they could have gotten our number, unless the relative gave it (which seems to be the only logical reason to me)? We are not listed in the phone book under our own names (it's under my parents - a different last name completely - since we live with them), so they could not have looked it up. Are credit agencies allowed to call families of the person they are looking for? It seems that I remember hearing that they could in order to locate a person, but could not tell you why they were calling. At any rate, I told them that they were not to call here again and they sounded apologetic. I hope it's the last I hear from them, but I still feel uneasy being called in the first place.

Jodi, if they have your husband's name, they can find out where he resides and call. They are allowed to call or "discover" any information that would allow them to find the person seeked so that they can get their money back.

I am recalling a time when I was in college and got a anonymous caller from the place where I was working part-time. They called my work and did not leave any info except a name and a number. Nobody knew I was working there at the time and I did not know the name, but I called back. It was for a person with my name, but not my social security number, nor my location, nor my married status (at that time), etc. When I called him back and he looked at the records, he realized that it was a case of mistaken identity and/or tracking info.

You husband's home number could have been given out from his place of work. Everything gets reported and these agencies are allowed to seek out their money. I do not envy them their jobs.

If your husband did not co-sign, and if you told them that this person walked out on you 1 year ago and do not know where he is, you will probably not hear from these people again. Legally if your hubby did not sign, they cannot pursue you nor him.

[jodi]

If your husband did not co-sign, and if you told them that this person walked out on you 1 year ago and do not know where he is, you will probably not hear from these people again. Legally if your hubby did not sign, they cannot pursue you nor him.

That's what I thought - but it was still unnerving. That's why I checked out his credit report just to make sure there had not been any inquiries or recent account openings (and there weren't). You're right - it's probably the last I will hear!

[Exile]

As a retired bill collector I can tell you, jodi, that it's not unusual to receive calls from creditors looking for someone who listed you as a relative or reference. Even if you were not close to the person, you may have been one of, say, 5 references that the debtor had to list, and sometimes the collector has to contact each and every furnished reference.

It's possible that you will never hear from creditor in question again. On the other hand, the company may contact you again in 6 months or so just to see if by chance you've heard from the debtor in the meantime. That is how thorough skip tracers have to be.

[jodi]

Thanks, Exile. I have since found out that my DH's sister was also contacted - and they were quite rude to her when she told them she did not know where the person was (they thought she was lying). Apparently, they were both listed as emergency contacts on a job application (without our knowledge!).

[creditcardfree]

How does a credit agency get a copy of someone's employment application? Seems that would property of the company...not public record. I think I've been getting collection calls. I never pick up, but I've checked the phone numbers on caller id...NCO Financial. There was one message left asking for my BIL, who could have debt issues. We checked out credit reports, too. They were clean. I've decided to not pick up...but, of course, they still keep calling. Messages hardly ever left.

Strange stuff...is this a sign of the economy?

[Seeker]

How does a credit agency get a copy of someone's employment application? Seems that would property of the company...not public record. I think I've been getting collection calls. I never pick up, but I've checked the phone numbers on caller id...NCO Financial. There was one message left asking for my BIL, who could have debt issues. We checked out credit reports, too. They were clean. I've decided to not pick up...but, of course, they still keep calling. Messages hardly ever left.

Strange stuff...is this a sign of the economy?

Actually what happens these days is, if the person is applying for a job and being considered, he or she may be asked to sign a release form which gives said employer-to-be the right to check the credit history on the applicant.

Many creditors monitor all the "credit reporting agencies" and if they see current activity of any kind (even the check of an potential employer-to-be), they can contact any numbers they have to see if they can locate that person.

They would not have the "employment application" nor any info about anything except a date when the CRA was contacted -- so that can be a way to activate these calls for info.

[Exile]

Rudeness on the part of a collector when contacting a reference is uncalled for. After all, the creditor is asking for a favor, and the reference is under no obligation to disclose anything.