[sickofnorights]

Hi all,

It appears a credit collector, Hoffman Weinberg & O'Brien called me to see if I knew my brother. I began to grilled them to ask them how they received my number and to see who they were. She then told me my old legal name, and SSN. Are they supposed to have that information? He had put me down as a reference in case he defaulted on his credit card, but he doesn't even know my SSN, so how do they have that information? Can they legally obtain this info? I'm shocked to be honest! Isn't that an invasion of my rights?

Thanks,
C

[charlotte234s]

They shouldn't have that information! If he gave that to them without asking you, it's fraud, if they got it without asking you, that's fraud! Get a lawyer, creditors are scum sometimes.

[ScottGem]

Sorry but its not illegal for them to obtain the info as long as it was done through legal means. They could have orders a credit report based on name and addresses and found you that way.

Once your brother listed you as a reference you became fair game.

[charlotte234s]

Seriously? That should be illegal.

[ScottGem]

Seriously? That should be illegal.

Why? Its illegal to use the information in certain ways. Its illegal to steal it. But credit bureaus use SSN to identify people. That's why people are warned to guard their SSNs. Not everyone can do a credit bureau search so there are some safeguards on who has access to the info.

I don't think the collection agency is performing fully ethically. But I don't think they did anything illegal either.

[charlotte234s]

I think it should be illegal for someone to give anyone else information that enables them to get your SSN without you knowing it, that's scary.

Oh well. :/

[JudyKayTee]

Seriously? That should be illegal.

You would be amazed by the information about you that is available to people with sources or a reason to check -

And, no, it's not illegal. It is illegal to impersonate someone else to obtain information, though.