ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- A Florida woman claims a debt collector went far beyond the usual phone calls in an attempt to recoup $362 for an unpaid car loan by sending her messages on Facebook -- and by telling family on the social networking site to have her call the agency.
Melanie Beacham, who is suing the debt collection agency Mark One LLC in a Florida court, says she never expected to hear from a collection agency on Facebook.
Beacham's attorney, Billy Howard of the Morgan and Morgan law firm in Tampa, says the debt collectors violated Beacham's privacy and Florida's consumer protection law, which prohibits collectors from harassing people.
Mark One has denied wrongdoing but acknowledged its collectors sometimes use Facebook if people don't respond to other means of communication.
Get a daily look at what’s developing in science and technology throughout the world.