While starting a new work is exciting, worrying about debt can also arise. Your finances may be strained if creditors attempt to garnish your wages. But how do creditors find out where you work in the first place?.
There are several ways creditors can find out where you work:
1. The Work Number: This is a massive database that contains employment and salary information for millions of workers across the United States. It’s owned by Equifax, and over 20,000 employers use it as an employment verification system. If your employer uses The Work Number, your information will be added to the database, and creditors can use it to find out where you work.
2 Social Media: Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are a great way to connect with friends and family, but they can also be a goldmine for creditors looking for information about your employment Creditors may search for you on social media, looking for posts or updates that mention your new job.
3. Social Contacts: Some creditors may try to contact your friends, family, or neighbors to get information about you. They may pretend to be an old friend or classmate, or they may simply ask about your whereabouts.
4. Public Records: Creditors can also search public records, such as voter registration records or property records, to find out where you work.
5. Skip Tracers: In some cases, creditors may hire skip tracers to find you. Skip tracers are professionals who specialize in locating people, and they have access to a variety of resources that can help them track you down.
How to Protect Yourself
There are a few things you can do to protect yourself from creditors finding out where you work:
1. Order Your Work Number Report: You have the right to receive a free annual report from The Work Number This report will show you if your employer has added your information to the database If your employer has added your information, you can ask them to remove it.
2. Take Care What You Post on Social Media: Refrain from sharing information about your recent job on social media. Make sure your privacy settings are set to “private” if you decide to post about it, so that only your loved ones can view it.
3. Advise Your Friends and Family to Use Caution: Advise your friends and family to use caution when disclosing any personal information to strangers, even if they claim to be from a debt collection agency.
4. Think About Filing for Bankruptcy: If you’re having financial difficulties, you may be able to stop creditors from contacting you and deducting money from your paycheck by filing for bankruptcy.
Additional Resources
- How Does That Debt Collector Know About My New Job? (myHorizon)
- How Do Collection Agencies Find You? (Nolo)
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can creditors garnish my wages without a court order?
No, creditors cannot garnish your wages without a court order. However, they can sue you in court to get a judgment against you. If they win the lawsuit, they can then ask the court to issue a garnishment order.
- What can I do if a creditor is garnishing my wages?
If a creditor is garnishing your wages, you should contact an attorney. An attorney can help you understand your rights and options, and they can help you negotiate with the creditor or file a lawsuit to stop the garnishment.
- Can I file for bankruptcy to stop a wage garnishment?
Yes, filing for bankruptcy can stop a wage garnishment. However, you should talk to an attorney to make sure that bankruptcy is the right option for you.
Contacting Your Relatives, Friends, Employers, and Neighbors
Collection agents often call relatives, friends, employers, or neighbors, posing as a friend or relative. However, the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) limits these types of calls.
A debt collector might use Facebook, LinkedIn, or another social media site to track you down. Many people list their hometown, employer, and other identifiable information on social media. Debt collectors frequently look at your posts without interacting with you in order to obtain your contact information or discover more about you. And once a debt collector finds out where you work, theyre more motivated to seek a wage garnishment.
A debt collector is expected to identify themselves as such if they send you a private message on social media asking to be added as one of your contacts. Nonetheless, collectors have been known to assume fictitious identities in an attempt to establish a connection with customers before probing around for information regarding whereabouts or assets.
Some debt collectors harass debtors online or post messages about a debt on social media in an attempt to force them to pay. Even though debt collectors who break the FDCPA are subject to $1,000 in statutory damages, it’s possible that you won’t be able to identify the debt collector.
Using the State Motor Vehicle Department Database
The motor vehicle departments database can be used by a legitimate creditor or its agent (the collection agency) in the majority of states to confirm your address in order to collect a debt and take legal action against you.