If you thought a call or two wasn’t enough, what about a DM on Instagram? Debt collectors are now allowed to slide in your DMs on social media.
New rules govern how U.S. debt collectors can contact those in debt and officially came into effect November 30. According to Business Insider, “legislation that governs how debt collectors could contact debtors has been covered by the 1977 Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, largely drawn up prior to the advent of the internet and social media.” Now debt collectors can use email, text, and social media to contact debtors.
It doesn’t mean they can comment on anything, specific guidelines are imposed.
The messages have to be private which means no commenting on Twitter, or underneath the Instagram comment section. The debt collectors have to specifically message you. Also, the debt collector must identify their role and that they are a debt collector right away.
Finally, debt collectors must give debtors an option to opt-out in the text message or private DM. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director, Kathleen Kraninger, says, “We are finally leaving 1977 behind and developing a debt collection system that works for consumers and industry in the modern world.”
