How do credit card companies or collection agencies get your cellular phone number?

If a person is late paying a credit card bill , how do the companies get your cellualr phone number when you only gave them your home and work phone numbers when you first applied with them?

Public Comments

1. All they have to do is a credit check and it will show you have a cell phone and your phone number is right there on the credit check paper.
2. That's not the only thing they got, sweet pea. They know stuff even you don't know about yourself.
3. your cell phone account number is usually your phone number. if they pull your credit report, it will have that number on it.
4. perhaps they called the number of the person you listed on the application as nearest relative not living with you and that person passed on your number.
5. Do you use the credit card to pay your cell phone bill ? If so, thats why they have the number. Also, if you are behind on your cell bill, the cell company can report it to them with the cell number and it will show on your credit report. Also, when you get a cell phone, they do a credit check and the number is automaticly put on your credit report.
6. They find your number on your credit report, but you can now put your cell phone number on the do not call registry at www.donotcall.gov. It may take a little time, but the calls will stop.
7. because they are a nosy bunch who like to call people and bother them for $2.00 especially when its 9-10 at night i think its because they do a search on your name...usually you have to give your name and SIN/SSN on your application for cell phones and then they might do a credit check before you can get your phone anyway...so they have your info anyhow
8. There are many ways that they could get your Cell Number. 1. If you ever call them from your Cell Phone they have your Cell Number. Even if you make it private when you call an 800 number that company has access to it. 2. You have used your Cell Phone number on another application/card. All of your contact information is put in a section of the credit report. This shows every variation of Street Address/Phone number any company has on you. 3. They did a search and just happened to find it on the internet with good old detective work. This usually will happen when your debts go to collections. Someone had mentioned the Do Not Call Registry, that works for Unsolicted phone calls. If a company has business with you they do not need to check that. You can however tell them to not call you on the phone number. Do this by Certified Mail to the company and if they call you again on it you can perhaps take some action against them. You are still responsible for the debt if you tell them not to call you, they just won't keep calling you on it.
9. I see one person has it right; they got it off caller ID when you called in.
10. doing credit check opens up complete history of your past and present activities and there they can find all the information they need.
11. At one point you probably gave it to them. I heard SPRINT PCS voluntarily sells their data base to affiliate companies. They lack market share and this is one of the ways they make money.
12. have a look at this site. they can write a program that goes through all the numbers http://www.superphonebook.net
13. all cellphone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sale calls. YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS....To prevent this, call the following number FROM YOUR CELL PHONE: 888-382-1222. It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years.
14. There is an amazing amount of information that goes out over cyber space. Any time you give that cell phone to a creditor or to apply for credit or even for other innocuous purposes like insurance, it is reported. Companies like Lexis Nexis gather information about you and sell the information to any subscriber. If a collection agency wants to contact you they will pull a report like Accurint which has not only your cell phone but also your neighbor’s names and numbers and potential family member’s names and numbers. There are other ways they can get this too, like pretexting but more than likely you gave it to another creditor as a second point of contact.
15. OC1999 is right. My advice for you.... 1. Budget better! 2. If you have debt with them, write a letter to start a payment plan or write it to come to an agreement that works for you. 3. Get a lawyer to call and settle with them 4. Just get a lawyer to call to tell them that you don't have the money right now.........they hate lawyers and prefer not not deal with them. 5. Wait 7 years for it to fall off of your credit report...double check this one though....it may be different for credit cards.
16. on credit check if you put it anywhere on credit for contact imformation they got it! I know i found out the hard way `
17. When you fill out application for any credit card or collection agencies, once they pull your credit report your cell number may be on it. Or if you put personal reference on the application they may have contacted one of them and they gave them your cell number.
18. easy...show and tell. many companies work under a umbrella corporation. other-words many companies or products that we love and trust are owned by one company. they often share or sell our information to other companies. there is no such then as a true privacy law sorry