Can a collector legally discuss my debt with my boss associates or third parties?

You may be truly surprised at the tactics, including some illegal debt collection practices, a debt collection agency will use in order to get you to pay your debt to them as quickly as possible. Fortunately, there are some protections in place and laws designed to stop harassing or predatory collection practices- although these protections only go so far.

• For example, a debt collection agency is not allowed to contact your employer and divulge specific information about your debt. 
• However, the debt collector may legally contact you while you are at work in order to discuss your debt with you, and in many cases, having your boss pick up the phone to be told that the person on the other end is a debt collector looking for you is not something you want to deal with.

The best thing to do when you are initially contacted by any debt collector via telephone is to inform them that they only need to correspond with you, and not to call you at work, since they know your address. You can also request that they only correspond via mail. After you’ve done this, write the debt collector a letter stating that they are not to contact or speak with anyone but you regarding your debt, and letting them know that you will handle the matter as soon as you possibly can. After you’ve done this and kept a copy of your correspondence, the debt collector may no longer contact you or anyone else via telephone regarding your debt. If the debt collector does, you may contact a lawyer to learn about how to hold the collector responsible for their illegal debt collection practices.