A debt collector's job is to persuade you to pay your debt. They try to do this in various ways, including calling you to discuss your debt and set up a payment plan. Your workplace phone number may be one of the valid phone numbers obtained by debt collectors using one of their many methods for obtaining your information. Debt collectors calling at work are inconvenient, and they could put your job in jeopardy if your boss objects.
Debt collectors can call you at work; still, there are some limitations
Debt collectors are permitted to call you at work, but only in limited circumstances. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act regulates what third-party debt collectors can and cannot do when trying to collect a debt. It states that debt collectors aren't allowed to call your place of business if they know or should know that your boss doesn't want them to. The debt collector could safely assume you're not allowed to take calls at work based on your occupation (if the debt collector knows your occupation).How to Avoid Debt Collectors Calling You at Work
It's risky to give a debt collector the benefit of the doubt, but calling you at work could be a genuine blunder. There's a chance the debt collector isn't aware that the number they've dialed is your office phone number. They might not know what you do for a living, so they won't know if your boss allows personal calls while you're at work. You can easily prevent debt collectors from calling you at work. Tell the debt collector that you are not allowed to receive personal calls at work or that your employer does not want them to call your job. Once the debt collector is made aware of either situation, they must stop calling you at work. Keep a record of the date and time you told the debt collector to stop calling your place of business. Your request to have the debt collector stop calling your place of business will be further supported by a follow-up letter. These pieces of evidence will support your case if you have to take legal action against the collector. When you pay off your debt, the debt collector will no longer call you at work or at home. Send a validation letter to the collector before paying the debt, requesting proof that the debt is yours and that you are legally obligated to pay it. If you're confident that the debt is legitimate, pay it off to put an end to it. You'll be able to work on repairing any credit damage brought on by an unpaid collection account on your credit report in addition to avoiding collection calls and damage to your credit score.What to Do If a Debt Collector Calls You Over and Over
Notifying the debt collector that you are unable to receive calls at work will only result in the termination of those calls. Unless you send a cease-and-desist letter requesting that the debt collector stop calling you, the collector can continue contacting you at other numbers on file for you, such as your home or cell phone. Submit a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau if the debt collector continues to call you at work after you've told them you couldn't take their calls. If the CFPB receives enough complaints about a particular collector, it may levy a fine and order the collector to stop breaking the law. You might be able to sue the debt collector for both compensatory and punitive damages.