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Debt collection before the internet age relied heavily on sending letters and making phone calls. Success often depended on debt collector’s willingness to be aggressive. Phone calls and letters are still utilized today, but they have largely taken a backseat to technology. Thanks to everything the internet brings to the table, there are better ways to collect on bad debts.
Judgment Collectors is a Salt Lake City debt collection agency that specializes in judgments. In fact, unpaid judgments are all they do. They say technology makes it possible for them to track down and make contact with debtors in ways that general debt collection agencies cannot.
Though Judgment Collectors will not reveal their proprietary secrets, for obvious reasons, it’s a safe bet that a lot of what they do relies on the internet. It stands to reason, given all of the doors the internet opens.
Accessing Public Records
Have you seen those advertisements inviting you to type your own name into Google to see what comes up? The advertisements are run by companies who sell access to public records. You could go dig around and get the information on your own, but a paid service does all the legwork for you.
Debt collectors are more than happy to pay for this service. For a small fee, they can gain access to a debtor’s current address, past addresses, current and past phone numbers, and even the names of relatives. Such information provides a good starting point.
Accessing Property Records
Every time a piece of real property changes hands, it generates records. In the old days, debt collectors would have to visit the county courthouse to get a look at property transactions. Not so today. Most local governments now make those records available online. You just have to know how to access them. In some cases you have to pay, in other cases the information is free.
Debt collectors rely on property records to uncover previously hidden assets. Assets can be slapped with liens or, in some cases, outright seized and sold to cover what the debtor owes.
Scouring Social Media
Billions of people use social media sites every single day. The vast majority of them do so without ever considering the security implications. Among them are debtors who have no idea that creditors and their debt collection agencies scour social media for any information that could help their cause.
Ironically, people seem to use social media without a care in the world. That is just what debt collectors hope for. They are just waiting for a debtor to post a seemingly innocent piece of information that tells them exactly what they want to know about the person’s assets, employment, etc. Sometimes it is just too easy.
Analyzing Debtor Behavior
Modern technology can also help debt collection by way of analytics. Advanced software can analyze debtor behaviors to help debt collection agencies understand what they are up against. Furthermore, artificial intelligence (AI) is gradually being added to the equation. Combining analytics with AI is gradually making it easier for debt collectors to find debtors and get them to pay.
It has been said that information is power. The old adage certainly applies in the debt collection game. The more information a debt collector can find on a debtor and his assets, the greater the chances of successful collection.
Fifty years ago, debtors had the advantage. Now the script is flipped. Thanks to technology, debt collectors have the upper hand in nearly every case. There is just too much information to be had out there. And debt collectors with the right information cannot be stopped.
