When debt collection defense Attorney Michael P. Forbes, came across "Getting Past Child Gatekeepers" written by Gary Jensen, who is a debt collector mentor, about how to use children to enable collection on a debt, he was at first dumbfounded and shocked. But, then he quickly remembered the industry who employed this tactic the shock and awe disappeared.
The illegal practices of debt collectors seem to know no bounds, even though it is precisely written for them under the FDCPA (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act). However, since the consumer still doesn't understand that there are "rules of the road", collectors are accustomed to getting away with anything and everything, as long as they attain their goal of collecting the debt...real or otherwise.
Gary Jensen, posted an article on Inside Arm, which is a site produced for the Accounts Receivable Industry, describing tips on how to get to the adult consumer via their "child gatekeepers". In other words, when a child answers the phone, he instructs his trainees on the best ways to take advantage of the youth and innocence of the child, so they can gain information about the adult consumer. He even suggests that the debt collector be sure to record the name of the child so that when they call again, they can use her name so the child will feel comfortable with the caller and give them information or get their parent on the phone. He advises the reader that debtors use their children as screeners, as justification for this technique.
He also emphasizes that they are to treat the child with as much respect as they do the consumer. This is chilling, when you consider how little respect they give an adult consumer! That "abuse" is the basis of almost every lawsuit we file on behalf of our clients and one of the reasons we win most of them. Because the fact is, that the debt collectors routinely violate one of the major tenets of the law, which is to treat the consumer with respect.
Please contact Attorney Michael P. Forbes at 610-293-9399