Did you find unauthorized or fraudulent charges in your bank account? Did someone steal your ATM Card? Did a cybercriminal steal money from your bank account? The Electronic Fund Transfer Act (“EFTA”) will protect you, but YOU MUST ACT FAST!! What is the EFTA? The Electronic Fund Transfer Act (“EFTA”) is a consumer protection law […]
Minnesota Attorney For Personal Information Disclosed to Third Parties
Personal Information Disclosed to Third Parties
Debt collectors are strictly prohibited from calling a consumer’s place of employment, family, or friends as a means of collecting debts. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) regulates these activities. Also, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) similarly prohibits debt collectors from calling friends and family with auto-dialing machines. These acts prohibit revealing a debt to the consumer’s relatives or acquaintances, as a tactic to collect debt. Contact one of our attorneys at Tarshish Cody PLC if you believe you have been the victim of harassing or threatening debt collection practices. Call our Consumer Protection Attorneys at 952-295-3935.
Debt collectors may not mention an amount or a specific type of debts to third parties, and they may not contact a third party more than once unless asked by the third party. It is illegal for a debt collector to try and collect a debt from anyone other than the debtor. For example, if the spouse of a person incurs a credit card debt, it is illegal to attempt to collect that debt from anyone except the consumer who incurred the debt. Debt collectors often suggest that a relative or friend should pay the debt without explicitly asking them to. That is illegal.
When a consumer learns someone has been contacted about their debt our attorneys advise the consumer to inquire how many times the person has been contacted. The FDCPA permits a third party to be asked by debt collectors about a consumer’s location, but they are not allowed to leave messages with third parties. Location information is considered to be only a consumer’s home or workplace address and phone.
Consumers who have experienced violations of these laws, should contact legal counsel to discuss their rights. The FDCPA protects the rights of consumers who may bring a claim for damages. Persons who do not owe a debt but have been persistently contacted by debt collectors have rights protected by the law and may bring claims for damages. There have been instances where debt collectors have aggressively harassed acquaintances of a debtor, and those consumers have claims that can be brought in court.
We are consumers’ rights attorneys. Contact us for a free initial consultation to discuss your rights under federal and state consumer protection laws. We welcome your call today at 952-295-3935 (or fill out the free case evaluation form below) to help you through the legal issues of your case.
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Julie Rosales
