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The Shadow, with some help from social media, knows!
National Public Radio carried a report on how debt collectors and skip tracers are using social media to glean asset and location information. A credit collection attorney relates that his agents will "friend" their targets to collect personal information:
"If you ask defense attorneys, they'll tell you that what I do is underhanded, sneaky and completely uncalled for. If you ask my colleagues — the plaintiff attorneys that collect these debts — we're laughing," he says. "We think it's a wonderful thing."
By all indications at this time, you cannot use social media and fly under the radar.
I too heard this report on NPR. Sorry, but if you owe a debt they will find you. I don't friend people I don't know, so my circle might be a little more closed, but not by much.I do not publish addresses or phone numbers either. I guess if you have something to hide(from) Facebook is not your friend!!
ReplyDeleteThe whole phenomenon of accepting friend requests from unknown people is something I personally don't understand. In fact, I repeatedly get a friend request from someone at FSU whose name I recognize but with whom I've never had direct communication and I deny the request every time. I'm just uncomfortable with the idea of that person having access to what I post.
ReplyDeleteThat said, so much information is public information at this point that it's difficult to really hide. Such is the world we live in. If you want to go under the radar, you have to be willing to sever some ties and go completely under. You can't pick and choose in the digital age.
To add to what Linda said, if you have something to hide the Internet is not your friend. It is amazing how much stuff is floating around out there if someone takes the time to look patiently.
ReplyDeleteI used to be very private. For some reason, I just don't care much anymore. Now, I keep my friend list private, but only for my friends.
I don't have much sympathy who are types of people mentioned in this article. 1) If you're friending people you don't know, then you're inviting in unwanted company, and 2) I think if you have debt you need to face up and deal with it, just like the rest of the world.
ReplyDeleteI don't think using Facebook as an investigation tool is underhanded. Everyone is aware that by posting information on Facebook, they are putting it out for a great many people to access, and they must be prepared to deal with whatever consequences that result.