Facebook is so popular these days that just about everyone has their own lil profile… but the next time you update your status, your “friends” may not be the only ones watching!
While you’re posting photos of your brand new Porsche or of you and your friends popping bottles in the club, consider who’s keeping track of that information.
What if one of your new Facebook “friends” started posting reminders on your wall that you should pay your bills? Would you cuss them out and keep it moving?
OK… How about a debt collector contacted your family members’ via Facebook asking them to deliver you a message? Or perhaps hit up one of your former classmates inquiring about you?
One company did just that and is now suffering from legal issues!
VIDEO: Debt Collector Used Facebook to Contact Debtor
Mark One Financial LLC of Jacksonville, Florida tried to contact one of their debtors by sending messages to both her and her family members on Facebook. They left several messages via Facebook asking to have her call the agency about the debt.
The woman, Melanie Beacham, apparently owed the company $362 on an unpaid car loan and the collection agency “friended” her on Facebook and collected information about her friends and family.
“I was shocked when I found out these collectors used Facebook to contact my family because they knew exactly where I was,” Beacham, 34, told the Associated Press. “I’m angry they caused me so much embarrassment with my family.”
Beacham subsequently filed a lawsuit against the company claiming that it was an invasion of privacy for them to stalk her on the popular social network and says the company violated part of Florida consumer protection law barring debt collectors from harassing people.
The lawsuit claimed that Mark One contacted Beacham six to 10 times a day by phone, sent her a text message, contacted her neighbor and sent a courier to deliver a letter to her workplace. Beacham’s attorney asked a judge to prohibit Mark One from contacting her or her family through Facebook or Twitter.
A Florida judge agreed and the company’s debt collection efforts have been shut down. Judge W. Douglas Baird has ordered Mark One Financial LLC of Jacksonville, Florida not to use Facebook or any other social media site to collect the debt. The judge also says the company can’t contact the woman’s family or friends on Facebook.
Mark One declined to discuss Beacham’s case and denied any wrongdoing. In a statment MarkOne said its collectors use Facebook to find people when they don’t respond to phone calls, letters or other means.
What would you do if a debt collector contacted you via Facebook and/or Twitter?
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they’d get deleted.But thank GOD I dont owe anyone anything
They would get BLOCKED & REPORTED! Lol!
funny
they wouldn’t bc we wouldn’t have any friends in common…
so they just became her friend and she didn’t know it? keep it neat folks, keep it neat.
That is what people get for letting everyone that requests to be friends "in"! If I don’t know you or something about you(celebrity) you will NOT be a friend of mine on FB…twitter..now that is tricky
with FB they don’t even have to be a friend to send a email, they can search a name and just send that person or person emails without even knowing that is the right person
That is so funny and they text her also for only $350 odd dollars lmao.
id tell dat mofo to keep it pushn!
Blank stare.
ahahaha!!!!! what? she didn’t check their profile or see if they had common friends before she accepted? I friended this chick once cuz she was friends with one of my FB friends and she said "who da hell is u?" I bout died laughing cuz I understood where she was coming from so I told her straight up my deal and now we friends. But for real, a mofo on the outside give my FB page I’m kicking they aZZ all day every day! I feel sorry for this lady. All that drama for $362. I got shoes cost more than that!
follow me
Twitter.com/MzGoodThighs
I don’t accept people I don’t know. Plain & simple.. But they contacted her family which is very low down & against the HIPPA law!! Which is down right stupid!!
HIPPA law is medical, what they violated was FDCPA LAW!
I am a bill collector and have been for 13 years now. I would just like to add that I use facebook all day every day to find people. The truth is, if someone has unpaid bills but when you visit their facebook page and you see them taking trips, buying vehicles, clothes, jewlery, etc we have no choice BUT to make one last effort to contact them so they can pay their bills. Now I don’t agree with the multiple phone calls to the young lady, but sometimes to create some "urgency" we have to do what we have to do. I think it is really sad that people get on line and brag about the things they have purchased, or post pictures of them taking exotic vacations but when they are asked to pay their outstanding debts the are offended. (Blank stare) Now lets all keep it real, if someone owed you money and you tried every other way possible to contact them to be re-paid and you stumble upon their page and see them spending their money, blowing it on whatever and YOUR debt remains unpaid, what would you do? It angers me when dead beat people don’t pay their bills but they want to display what they have, where they are going on vacation but they are not responsible enough to pay their bills. I don’t think there is anything wrong with using facebook to contact a debtor. It’s real simple, PAY YOUR BILLS and you won’t have to worry about getting embarrased.
@Michelle, I understand that debt collectors want to get paid but stalking the person DOES NOT GUARANTEE PAYMENT. If a person sincerely does not want to pay their bill, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET PAID! So you can search Facebook, call their family or better yet hire a Private Detective but unless you are on some Mafia type stuff, YOU CAN NOT MAKE A PERSON PAY YOU! By the way why are you angry, did you loan the money? If it wasn’t for people not paying their bills, you wouldn’t have YOUR job.
Michelle I’m not sure wjat company you work for but I’m sure you guys will stop contacting peopleon facebook one you see how much this lady is about to get paid for violations that was made. Contacting them on facebook is like releasing third party info that you cant not do without her permission! You just revealed to the world other than the debtor that you are a debt collector. Why do you think it’s against the law to post a debt collection agency name on the outside of envelopes?
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Laugh My Azz Off
SUE THE SHIT OUT OF THEIR DUMBAZZ! That is a stict violation of the FDCPA!
Same thing I do when they call the house….lol
block them
I live on the wish factor…. I wish a bill collector would so u can sue them and pay off all my dam bills. Lol
block this person
Since I cant send them to voice mail I would block ‘em!! Lol
BLOCK THEY ASS LIKE I DO ON THE PHONE….THEY DONT NEED TO START THAT…LET ME HAVE SOM KINDA PEACE…GEESH
I always wonder what makes a debt collector do that. If the person aint paying your ass when you call and send letters then its not likely their gonna pay your ass via FB. LOL
um IGNORE their ass…duh
Cha-ching!!!!!!
My hands itching…. Let them bring it on…. Im waiting…. Ima have one hellva law suit!
Unscrupulous debt collector costs his company legal trouble for a measley $350+ dollars. I’d fire his AZZ!! Shame on the woman for not paying her bills. LOL
Can everybody scream law suit with me !
Cuss their asses out, like I do when they call me on the phone!!!!
Lol @ they dumb ass then cuss them out n then block them like I do on the phone. So I agree with Chanda Chatman.
Lol I had one come to my job…it wasn’t funny at that time but she was like let’s go outside and discuss this matter…since I was at work I stayed professional and told her if I walk out that door my stilettos are coming off….
ahahahh they have been doing that. well using people fb to deny unemployment, insurance, disability claims. Over here in S. Korea, our insurance hadn’t sent the payment yet and the lady contacted us via fb. funny but had to cuss her out. They will also call friends-a soldier here ordered some curtains to be made and they contacted his friends for him to come get and pay for his order. ahahhaha funny but they would have gotten cussed out in korean and english and whatever ebonics and japtalian I can think of. .
This is a PARTICULARLY SLIMY way to get at folk! I hope she sues all the way to the Supreme Court if that’s what it takes.