Racism or a numbers game?

A recent Huffington Post article has reported that debt collectors are more aggressively going after African American debtors than their white counterparts. The article sites research that the African American community, which was hit harder by the recession than any other racial group, is more likely to have credit issues and past due credit accounts.  Therefore, third party debt collectors seem to be focusing more on the African American community.

So is it racism or profiling or just a numbers game? According to ACA International, a trade association of third-party debt collectors, debt collectors are color blind, and are only interested in the numbers.  Of course they’re going to say that – they’re defending themselves.  But in reality, how would a debt collector look at a list of names and phone numbers and identify someone’s race?  

Whether there’s racism or not, debt collectors are notorious for their ruthlessness and aggressive tactics. Before you are forced to agree to any type of settlement or payment plan, contact an experienced debt settlement attorney to make sure your rights and your credit are protected.