HOW do debt collectors get your number?

Question

I only had my house number for a month through Comcast, not even in the phone book yet. How do these people get your number?

Answer 1

mines on my credit report. i dont know why. anytime you apply for credit you give them your number and they report it. same thing with your address and employer. easy way out is to move and change phone number. dont apply for any kind of credit for 7 years. pay all monthly bills on time. how they gonna find you? employers cant give personal info to them-only that you work there.

Answer 2

someone i know used to work for one of these places.  there's a huge database in there that has you, your family members, everywhere you've lived, all yoru phone numbers (cell phones, house phones, etc) and probably a whole bunch of information you wouldn't want them knowing.

Answer 3

Your phone number is in the public record. It can be found in many places. You can ask directory assistance on the phone or the web. You can do a zaba search, www.zabasearch.com or ask your neighbors.

If you have utilities you can be found.

Answer 4

There are tons of methods skip tracers use to find this information.

Answer 5

I re registered to vote and now they have my number lol. They haven't been able to find me for over five years. Now they found me. I'm just going to change my number.

Answer 6

It's called Skip Tracing.  Most creditors use internet based systems called Accurint and Lexis Nexis and FastData.

If you buy an item and fill out the info on the registration/warranty card, that info is added to these systems.  If you apply for credit and you put your phone number on the credit app, your CBR will contain your phone number.  Sometimes it's as simple as doing a reverse search on your address.  Lot's of ways to get a phone number, I was a skip tracer and there were very few people I was never able to find.