Question & Answer

Question: We have an overdrawn account on which we have been trying to collect for some time. Our mail is now coming back, "Moved-left no forwarding address." Can we use the Credit Report on this customer to try to locate him?

Answer: Absolutely, positively NO! Our answering source talked about such things as civil and criminal penalties for getting or using a credit report without permission of the individual. This is covered under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Any information that is public record can be used, however, to try to locate "missing" customers such as state drivers license records, vehicle registration records and county or state voters registration records.

Copyright © 1991 Bankers' Hotline. Originally appeared in Bankers' Hotline, Vol. 2, No. 3, 4/91