A Collector Is Contacting My Family
Third-party contact is one of the most regulated areas of the FDCPA. Most of what collectors say to your family is illegal.
What a collector is NOT allowed to do
- • Tell your parent, sibling, friend, neighbor, or coworker that you owe a debt
- • Mention the name of the collection agency in a way that reveals the nature of the contact
- • Contact the same third party more than once (unless that person requested a callback or the collector reasonably believes prior info was wrong)
- • Send postcards, emails, or anything visible to others that references the debt
- • Leave voicemails that disclose the debt on a shared phone line
The one narrow exception
A collector may contact a third party only to get your location information (address, phone, employer). They cannot discuss the debt, and they cannot call the same person twice once they have that info.
What we do
1. Witness statements from the family member
A short written account of what the collector said, when, and whether the debt was mentioned. That's usually the whole case.
2. Cease third-party contact in writing
Certified letter demanding they stop contacting anyone other than you. Additional third-party contact after that = per-violation damages.
3. FDCPA suit — emotional distress damages
Third-party disclosure cases often recover actual damages well above the $1,000 statutory cap because of the embarrassment and reputational harm.
They're Calling Your Family?
Disclosure to third parties is one of the clearest FDCPA cases. Tell us what was said — free review.
Attorney-negotiated settlements available now. Act fast - creditors are calling.