Key takeaways
- Collectors generally can’t tell other people, like your employer, family or friends, about your debt.
- They may contact others only to find your address, phone number or workplace, and usually only once.
- They can’t call you at work if they know your employer doesn’t allow it.
- Your spouse, your attorney and a few others, like a parent of a minor, are exceptions who can be told about the debt.
- If a collector reveals your debt to others, keep records and file a complaint.
One of the biggest fears with debt collection is embarrassment: a collector calling your boss, your parents or your friends. Federal law sets clear limits on this. Here’s what collectors can and can’t do.
What collectors can do
According to the CFPB, a debt collector may contact other people only to find out where you live, your phone number or where you work. When they do:
- They generally can’t say they’re collecting a debt.
- They usually can’t contact the same person more than once.
What collectors can’t do
- Tell your employer you owe a debt. A collector may ask your employer for your contact information, but can’t discuss the debt.
- Tell your family, friends or neighbors about your debt.
- Post about your debt publicly, including on social media. See debt collectors and texts, emails and social media.
Who can be told about the debt
According to the CFPB, collectors may discuss the debt only with:
- You.
- Your spouse.
- Your parents, if you’re a minor.
- Your guardian, executor or administrator.
- Your attorney, if one represents you on the debt. If the collector knows you have an attorney for the debt, it generally must contact the attorney instead of you.
If a collector contacts you about a relative who has died, different rules apply. See who pays credit card debt when someone dies.
Calls at work
The CFPB explains that if your employer doesn’t allow you to get personal calls at work, you should tell the collector. Once a collector knows, it can’t call you there. You can say it on the phone, but putting it in writing gives you a record.
Wage garnishment is different
If a creditor sues you and wins a judgment, it may get a court order for wage garnishment. Your employer would then receive that order. This is a legal process, not a collector discussing your debt, and federal law protects your job if your wages are garnished for one debt. See wage garnishment: what it is and how to respond.
If a collector crosses the line
- Write down what happened: date, time, who was contacted and what was said.
- Ask the person who was contacted to note the details too.
- Tell the collector in writing how you want to be contacted, or to stop contacting you. See how to tell a debt collector to stop contacting you.
- File a complaint with the CFPB and your state attorney general. See how to file a complaint against a debt collector.
- Talk to a consumer attorney. If a collector broke the law, you may have a claim against it.
The bottom line
Collectors can reach out to others only to find you, and generally can’t reveal your debt to your employer, family or friends. Tell collectors not to call you at work if that’s a problem, keep records, and report collectors who break the rules. For your full rights, see your rights when a debt collector calls.
Sources: CFPB: can debt collectors tell other people about my debt · FTC: debt collection FAQs · U.S. Department of Labor: wage garnishment