Day 2 - What Was Really Said at the FTC Workshop on Debt Collection? No matter what your role in debt collection, the recently held FTC Workshop on Debt Collection addressed a topic of importance to your business or practice.  Skiptracing, availability of social security numbers, contacting debtors via e-mail or cell phone, not being able to pursue collection without detailed information about the debt and debtor, preemption of the FDCPA over state statutes are just a few of the issues discussed in depth during the two day workshop.  You can read the formal position papers submitted by dozens of individuals and organizations.  However, to get a true understanding of what was discussed and where the lines are drawn or blurred between those collecting debts and those representing consumers, you had to be there or watch nearly 16 hours of video online.  The National List of Attorneys provides a better way.  We have written a summary of each session presented during the workshop directly from the verbatim transcripts of the discussions. Below is the summary of the second day.  The first day summary was sent on 11/19/07.  Both day one and day two summaries will be also posted on The National List of Attorneys' web site www.nationallist.com. Summary of Panel Discussions October 2007 FTC Workshop on Debt Collection Issues Day 2, October 11, 2007   9:10 - 10:45am Locating the Correct Consumer and Determining the Correct Amount Owed A policy issue that will significantly impact locating the correct consumer is the use of social security numbers to link two consumers with the same name. There is recent legislation in Minnesota and several bills pending in Congress that would restrict the use of social security numbers for skiptracing purposes. Michael C. Lamb, Vice President and Chief Counsel, LexisNexis Risk Information & Analytics Group, Inc. contended that this would be anti-consumer. "If we could not use social security numbers…the data will be less accurate; there will be more wrong party contact." Robin R. Pruitt, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Encore Capital Group, Inc., a debt buyer, echoed the need for social security numbers to ensure that the correct person is being contacted. "What we want to do is connect the right person and his social security number with the right address and phone number so that we can contact them about the right debt," he stated. To read the entire Summary of Day Two and for a printable version click here.

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