I posted over the summer about how debt collectors are increasingly using Facebook and other social networking sites to find debtors. This article goes into greater detail about how collectors are using Facebook, the limitations of this approach and why debtors and potential debtors should proceed with caution in what they post on Facebook etc.
Bottom line
Consumers need to think hard about whether they want to be “found” on the Internet. If they have any qualms, they should use aliases, post a random photos as an avatar and not provide specific physical address information. Finally they need to recognize that restricting access through privacy settings, might not be enough to protect their online information from being discovered.
Tags: debt collection, Facebook, Linkedin
November 16, 2010 at 4:07 pm |
[...] Previously I have discussed how debt collectors have been using Facebook and social networking to apply pressure on debtors. Perhaps this case will lead to specific legislation banning these practices. [...]