Question: Can a debt collector call me repeatedly at work?
Answer: Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, if you tell a debt collector that you aren’t allowed to get calls at work they must stop calling. Many clients complain that debt collectors call them at work repeatedly.
Also, the debt collector cannot leave messages with persons other than the debtor, or on an answering machine or voicemail system unless they know that they only person who can access the message is the debtor or the debtor’s spouse.
The debt collector can call to verify the debtor’s location information, which includes “place of employment.” The collector can identify himself by personal name, state that he is confirming or correcting location information concerning the consumer, and, only if expressly requested, identify his employer. The collector may not state that such consumer owes any debt. The collector cannot communicate with anyone other than the debtor for that purpose more than once unless requested to do so by such person or unless the debt collector reasonably believes that the earlier response of such person is erroneous or incomplete and that such person now has correct or complete location information. The collector cannot request salary, position, or other information besides “does x work there.” If the consumer has an attorney and the debt collector knows it, he cannot contact the consumer or the consumer’s employer for any reason without first obtaining a judgment that can be enforced against the consumer’s wages.