# Can a debt collector tell my boss where I live?

- Jurisdiction: United States
- Practice area: Consumer Law
- Published: 2026-10-31
- Last updated: 2026-10-31
- Canonical: https://lawasked.com/us/consumer-law/can-debt-collector-tell-my-boss-where-i

## Question

I live in Ohio and I am dealing with a really stressful situation regarding an old medical bill from about two years ago. Last Tuesday, around 10:00 AM, a man called my workplace and asked to speak with my manager, Sarah. Instead of just asking for me, he told Sarah that he was calling to 'confirm my current home address' because he had some outdated information. While he didn't explicitly say I owed money, he sounded very professional and intense, which made Sarah feel awkward. I have already tried calling the collection agency back to tell them to stop contacting my job, but they just said they were allowed to verify my location. I am worried because I don't want my employer thinking I am irresponsible with my finances or that I am in some kind of trouble. I need to know if they are allowed to call my boss like that and if there are specific rules about what they can actually say to someone who isn't me when they are just trying to find out where I live. Can they keep calling my office if Sarah says she doesn't know my new address?

## Summary

Yes, a debt collector can call your workplace to find your address, but they must follow strict rules about what they say and how often they call. They are prohibited from telling your manager that you owe a debt.

## Analysis

Under federal law, a debt collector is allowed to contact people other than you for the specific purpose of "acquiring location information about the consumer" [1]. In your case, the man calling Sarah at 10:00 AM on Tuesday was attempting to confirm your home address. 

However, there are strict limits on how they do this. When speaking to someone like Sarah, the collector must "identify himself, state that he is confirming or correcting location information concerning the consumer" [1]. This means they must say who they are and that they are just looking for your address. Most importantly, the law states they shall "not state that such consumer owes any debt" [1]. If the collector implied to Sarah that you were in financial trouble or owed money, they may have violated this rule. 

Regarding your question about repeated calls, the law says a collector shall "not communicate with any such person more than once unless requested to do so by such person or unless the debt collector reasonably believes that the earlier response of such person is erroneous or incomplete" [1]. Since Sarah told the collector she does not know your new address, the collector generally cannot keep calling her to ask the same question unless they have a reason to believe her answer was wrong. 

Additionally, a collector cannot call your workplace if they "knows or has reason to know that the consumer’s employer prohibits the consumer from receiving such communication" [2]. If your company has a policy against such calls, the collector must stop. 

Note that state laws in Ohio may provide additional protections regarding debt collection practices.

## Statutory citations

- Consumer Credit Protection Act (Truth in Lending, Fair Credit Reporting, Fair Debt Collection), 15 U.S.C. § 1692b - Acquisition of location information [in force] (https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title15-section1692b)
  > Any debt collector communicating with any person other than the consumer for the purpose of acquiring location information about the consumer shall— (1) identify himself, state that he is confirming or correcting location information concerning the consumer... (2) not state that such consumer owes any debt; (3) not communicate with any such person more than once unless requested to do so by such person or unless the debt collector reasonably believes that the earlier response of such person is erroneous or incomplete...
- Consumer Credit Protection Act (Truth in Lending, Fair Credit Reporting, Fair Debt Collection), 15 U.S.C. § 1692c - Communication in connection with debt collection [in force] (https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title15-section1692c)
  > a debt collector may not communicate with a consumer... (3) at the consumer’s place of employment if the debt collector knows or has reason to know that the consumer’s employer prohibits the consumer from receiving such communication.

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