# A collection agency called me and left a message about my neighbor's debt. Isn't that illegal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 2, 2011, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-collection-agency-called-me-and-left-a-message-about-my-neighbors-debt-isnt-that-illegal/587582 "2011-07-02T00:10:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-collection-agency-called-me-and-left-a-message-about-my-neighbors-debt-isnt-that-illegal/587582/21 "2011-07-03T02:31:11Z")
Interesting. I learned something today. I hope it never becomes useful, because that would be annoying. Thanks! -D/a ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-collection-agency-called-me-and-left-a-message-about-my-neighbors-debt-isnt-that-illegal/587582/22 "2011-07-03T02:43:37Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > On the other hand I don’t want to embarrass her with the fact that I know that a collection agency is pursuing her. FTR, that’s most likely the exact reason the collection agency called you. They do this hoping you’ll tell her and she’ll be so embarrassed that she’ll settle up with them before they call more of her neighbors/family. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-collection-agency-called-me-and-left-a-message-about-my-neighbors-debt-isnt-that-illegal/587582/23 "2011-07-03T07:30:26Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > …To the best of my understanding, collection agencies buy debts from companies. The company gets a certain amount from the initial sale, but nothing from the collection. An out-of-US agency probably wouldn’t be affected by the FDCP Act. I think. But wouldn’t an out of US agency have a hard time actually collecting on a debt? I’d think it would be difficult for them to sue a debtor in a US court. Even if they just depend on bullying people into paying, how many people are going to send a check to some outfit in India or wherever? In any case, if the company name on my caller ID is accurate, they’re based in Houston, Texas. The area code matches this. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-collection-agency-called-me-and-left-a-message-about-my-neighbors-debt-isnt-that-illegal/587582/24 "2011-07-03T07:38:38Z")
I found an article about them. [http://www.ucan.org/blog/money\_privacy/banking\_finance\_credit\_cards/ltd\_financial\_services\_lp\_debt\_collectors\_consumers\_beware](http://www.ucan.org/blog/money_privacy/banking_finance_credit_cards/ltd_financial_services_lp_debt_collectors_consumers_beware) > [@](#): > > Consumer beware. LTD Financial Services, LP is a debt collection company that appears to harass consumers whether they owe a debt or not. They’ve already had a $1.3 million dollar settlement with the FTC and they’re still pulling this stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-collection-agency-called-me-and-left-a-message-about-my-neighbors-debt-isnt-that-illegal/587582/25 "2011-07-04T00:09:41Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > It was worded almost like he expected to find her at my number, but I don’t see how that could be the case. Are your phone numbers sufficiently similar that it could have been a wrong number? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-collection-agency-called-me-and-left-a-message-about-my-neighbors-debt-isnt-that-illegal/587582/26 "2011-07-04T06:10:23Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Are your phone numbers sufficiently similar that it could have been a wrong number? I have no clue what her number is, but the odds that they’re similar would seem to be pretty remote. I had this number before I moved here. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-collection-agency-called-me-and-left-a-message-about-my-neighbors-debt-isnt-that-illegal/587582/27 "2011-07-04T09:28:45Z")
The agency probably used a reverse look up directory, which lists phone numbers by address rather than name. It’s also remotely possible that the alleged debtor gave your phone number as a reference. In either case, you should tell her so that she can take action. And if they call again, let them know that you know this is illegal, and that you don’t want to hear from them ever again. ---
**Author:** ![LIONsob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/76d3ee/32.png) [@LIONsob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LIONsob)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-collection-agency-called-me-and-left-a-message-about-my-neighbors-debt-isnt-that-illegal/587582/28 "2011-07-04T19:33:18Z")
The owner of LTD Finanical Services is my late wife’s cousin and one of the slimest most dishonest money grubbing lowlifes on this planet! Breaking the law to make a buck is S.O.P. for him, paying a slap on the wrist fine is just a business expense, besides I bet he figured out a way to deduct it off his taxes. File a complaint with the FTC and anybody else you can think of, running him out of business would be making the world a better place. Peace LIONsob ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-collection-agency-called-me-and-left-a-message-about-my-neighbors-debt-isnt-that-illegal/587582/29 "2011-07-04T22:08:27Z")
You haven’t lived until you’ve had debt collectors harrass you for info on the former owner of your phone number. Like I should know the guy who used to have this number? Should I also know who had my library books out before me? ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-collection-agency-called-me-and-left-a-message-about-my-neighbors-debt-isnt-that-illegal/587582/30 "2011-07-04T23:08:46Z")
> [@Chicken\_Fingers](#): > > You haven’t lived until you’ve had debt collectors harrass you for info on the former owner of your phone number. Like I should know the guy who used to have this number? Should I also know who had my library books out before me? Oh grrr! You’ve got that right. The same thing happened when I changed my Anchorage phone and provider for a lower 48 one. The guy who had the phone before me not only owed enough to have several collection agencies pursuing him, there was also some sort of lawsuit, as two or three lawyers from the same agency were always leaving messages. They seriously acted as if I MUST know the guy and even lied and pretended I hadn’t already told them several times to take me off of their list. I hunted most of the companies down online and emailed them a version of what Mizpullin said above, including several mentions of the Fair Credit act (or whatever it’s called, I’m too lazy to look it up right now). It took 5 months for me to stop getting calls for Billy Deadbeat. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-collection-agency-called-me-and-left-a-message-about-my-neighbors-debt-isnt-that-illegal/587582/31 "2011-07-05T02:02:35Z")
> [@LIONsob](#): > > The owner of LTD Finanical Services is my late wife’s cousin and one of the slimest most dishonest money grubbing lowlifes on this planet! Breaking the law to make a buck is S.O.P. for him, paying a slap on the wrist fine is just a business expense, besides I bet he figured out a way to deduct it off his taxes. File a complaint with the FTC and anybody else you can think of, running him out of business would be making the world a better place. > Peace > LIONsob Wow, small world! ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-collection-agency-called-me-and-left-a-message-about-my-neighbors-debt-isnt-that-illegal/587582/32 "2011-07-05T05:20:59Z")
I always take such calls as a chance to give free rein to my creative side. “Oh, \, isn’t it too bad about him. The cancer’s completely inoperable, they say. And only a couple of months to go. His wife got laid off because she has to take him to doctors so often. Now they’ve had to sell their car, and are on Food Stamps and everything. Terrible things to happen to such nice people. And then the kid going to jail. What a time they’ve had.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-collection-agency-called-me-and-left-a-message-about-my-neighbors-debt-isnt-that-illegal/587582.md?page=1)