City Looks To Social Media To Collect On Debts

These days just about everything can be found online, including your personal information.  With privacy under threat of public scrutiny, one city is taking advantage of some social media sites to help collect on unpaid debts.

The Public Eye

One of the best aspects to sites like Facebook is the sharing of information and instant contact with people. However, the ease in which information can be transmitted and shared makes it a challenge to maintain a sense of privacy. Many businesses and creditors are now turning to social media sites as tools for collecting on unpaid debts, leaving the financial affairs of “offenders” in public view.

The city of Farmington, Mississippi is just one of many entities putting up a list naming debtors on their public Facebook pages. The” shame pages” are aimed at motivating people to pay their debts to avoid further embarrassment. Although this tactic is not technically illegal, it is drawing the attention of federal scrutiny as a possible violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.  Debtors around the country should be warned that their name could be out on creditor’s page for public viewing, and also know they have the right to report such actions to the Federal Trade Commission if they feel their privacy has been violated.