how did they get my phone number

[CanadianChick]

My boyfriend surprised me on Monday bought him and me a new iphoneX , my number is new, but that is okay. it was a special 2 year contract so it's all fine.

I changed my number at my bank, 4 credit card companies and of course my friends. Today I got a call from a collection company that claimed I had a charge off account from 2007. They knew my name and new number. BUT this number is not in my name, since he bought the phones it is under his name. So how did they get it?


The bad debt by the way is not mine, it is a credit card my old boyfriend had who added me to his account and I never even used his damn card.

This is very curious to me.

[TheButcher]

Assuming what you said is the way it is. Where ever you changed your phone number is either selling lists, reporting it to credit bureaus ( which from what I think I know they do not list phone numbers) but in less than a week that's petty fast whatever is going on. Just explain to this company what the facts are, the statute of to take legal action fr the debt has run out so they are SOL anyways and they can not report to credit bureaus all these years later. They are trying to recover some money, they buy these bad accounts in bulk for pennies on the dollar, and some other company comes along re-buys it for less...... There was a great documentary about this few years back, I'll find the link post it.

[HeidiHoe]

I been using a google voice number for the last 10-11 years. That's the number I usually give out to anyone other than friends and family. If my number changes, all I have to do is forward google voice to the new number. I haven't changed my number at banks, doctor, etc in years. Added bonus is that you can set a quiet time, record calls, transcribe voice mail, forward to email, text including multi-media, screen calls, mark numbers as spam, archive them, block them and they get a disconnected message. It works hand in hand with google contacts and there is an app for android

[CanadianChick]

Thanks for the replies. But how did they get this number when it is in my boy friends name?

[HeidiHoe]

Thanks for the replies. But how did they get this number when it is in my boy friends name?

Do you live together? Maybe that's how they matched it up. You be amazed by all the info that gets collected.

[CanadianChick]

[quote=HeidiHoe post_id=28401 time=1547258679 user_id=57

Do you live together? Maybe that's how they matched it up. You be amazed by all the info that gets collected.
[/quote]

Yes we do, the phones are in Nick's name the condo is in his mother's name, but we have no accounts or bills in our names together. This is some what puzzling how they got this new number out the blue.

[TheButcher]

Welcome to the 21st century CC, forget privacy.

[bestfreeporn]

I doubt you'll pin point the exact place they got it

[wetnwild]

If banks sell personal info that is bad business, I don't believe they do.

[TheButcher]

If banks sell personal info that is bad business, I don't believe they do.

No they don't why would they want to share their clients with other banks.

I asked a friend who works at a collection company, he said when you updated your phone number at the places you mentioned they report the latest home address and account payment history to Trans Union, Equifax and Experian. The collection companies check with these bureaus regularly for updates, that's how they got your number.
I am no lawyer but I can safely say that you can not be sued for an 11 or 12 year old debt and they can not report such debt to any credit bureau. They are hoping you get tired of their calls and end up making a settlement so they recover something.

My 2 cents

[Wm2man]

If banks sell personal info that is bad business, I don't believe they do.

No they don't why would they want to share their clients with other banks.

I asked a friend who works at a collection company, he said when you updated your phone number at the places you mentioned they report the latest home address and account payment history to Trans Union, Equifax and Experian. The collection companies check with these bureaus regularly for updates, that's how they got your number.
I am no lawyer but I can safely say that you can not be sued for an 11 or 12 year old debt and they can not report such debt to any credit bureau. They are hoping you get tired of their calls and end up making a settlement so they recover something.

My 2 cents

That makse sense.