FTC holds debt collection workshop

The Federal Trade Commission recently held a workshop for those in the debt collection business on April 28 to discuss the implications of emerging technology and its impact on both businesses and consumers. The FTC's "Debt Collection 2.0: Protecting Consumers as Technologies Change," was held in Washington, D.C., and sought to lay out the rules that debt collection agencies must follow when using mobile phones, email, social media, databases, auto-dialers and other tools. The workshop featured six different panels that addressed a number of different aspects of the industry. One of the panels - Obtaining Information About Persons: Skip-Tracing and Beyond - featured a number of debt collection professionals and attorneys who handle legal matters relating to the industry. Industry professionals in Delaware will soon have to adhere to even more stringent rules, thanks to the state Court of Common Pleas' new directive. Under the new law, in order to take a person in debt to court, the agency must provide the name of the original creditor, the name of the current debt owner and the last four digits of the account number.