Company Sued For Collecting Debt On Facebook

[The Straight Story]

Company Sued For Collecting Debt On Facebook
Local Woman Says Company Exposed Her Financial Troubles

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A Central Florida woman claims a finance company reached out to her friends and family on Facebook in an effort to collect her debt, and she has filed a lawsuit in an attempt to stop the practice.

When Melanie Beacham bought a car four years ago, she had no idea she’d be facing a pay cut at work, and no idea that she’d be out on medical leave for three months.

“I was able to make the car payment,” Beacham said. “My dad was helping me with the car payment, but I couldn’t keep putting that stress and pressure on him.”

Eventually, she fell behind on the payment. She said her finance company, Mark One Financial, offered her deferments that would keep her on track for a while. She said she was surprised to find out that the company was tracking her through a social networking website.

....

According to documents obtained by Local 6, a representative from Mark One, using the name Jeff Happenstance, contacted not only Melanie on Facebook, but her cousin and her sister, as well.

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/25083991/detail.html

[marmar]

1. Bounty hunters without the guns.

nt

[BrklynLiberal]

3. Exactly!!

[NightWatcher]

2. sue the collection agency scum

[napi21]

4. Yep, they're not permitted to discuss your finaancial affairs

with anyone but YOU! If they posted info on facebook they broke the law.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

5. I'm not sure if I have a problem with it...

I don't really consider a social networking website as "private space"... especially if it can be accessed publicly.

[Dappleganger]

7. How do they know they have the correct person?

They DON'T.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

8. Depending on the amount of personal information shared...

they may know absolutely who they are contacting. For example, if the facebook profiles states a phone number, address, email, lists relatives, has a picture... then it may match up with a unique ID in thier debtor list.

It would depend on the indivual case basis and information shared whether they COULD correctly identify a persons online profile. I'd have to say, at least in this instance, they hit thier mark.

[Dappleganger]

6. They once called her 20 times in one day...

if that's not harassment I don't know what is.

[rsmith6621]

9. She Should Sue Facebook as well.....

This is an example of ...IF I DON'T KNOW YA...I WONT FRIEND YA...