Call your phone company and report the harrassing calls. Ask them to block the number. You may even be able to block it yourself if you have the service option.

Your brother's debt is NOT your problem. Tell the bill collectors to knock it off (record their calls and tell them you are!). Contact the telephone company and ask them what they suggest.

What noone has mentioned here is that the credit card company BROKE the law. when they told you that your brother was behind in his payments they committed "third party disclosure" and according to FDCPA regulations this is a big no no. this actually happened while I was working for a major CC company. One of the collectors called a debtors neighbor and asked them to place a note on the debtors door that he needed to send a payment to bring the account up to date. needless to say the debtor sued the CC company, his balance "went away" he received a settlement and the collector got fired
So there are two options for you
Find out what the laws in your state are with regards to recording phone calls, if you are able to do so without having to let the calling party know
First option: record the CC company telling you the reason for the call. then let your brother know that the CC disclosed this information to you. he can decide if he wants to actually sue the CC for 3rd party disclosure.
Second option; next time they call advise them that according to FDCPA they have committed third party disclosure and you will speak to a supervisor if you receive another call.
Believe me every collector is VERY aware of these laws and it seems this one was just hoping you wouldn't be and would give them the information
I know what I would do because a lesson needs to be learned here. granted your brother may owe them money but his privacy should also be protected
Karla

Thanks for the suggestions. I called the phone company this PM. They were less than helpful. The CC company never uses the same phone number, so my phone company says it can not block the calls.
I have let my brother know that they told me the reason they were calling me. I have not recorded any of my phone calls yet. In our state, you have to inform the other party that you are taping the call, so I am sure they would be extremely careful with what they say that particular time.
Unfortunately, I need these calls to stop within the next few days. My MIL is coming for a visit and I do not want the calls coming in while she is here. Not answering the phone is not an option, because they leave messages on our machine. I have to leave the answering machine on because of other relatives in poor health.
I am torn. I do not want to give his phone number out, but I have to get the calls stopped. I think it will probably be another sleepless night. Thanks once again.

bessie
call the company most have call centers open till 11 pm est. ask to speak to a supervisor explain what has been happening and tell them that if they don't remove your number you and your brother will have to "seek legal counsil" believe me third party disclosure is nothing to mess around with. allot of collectors make bouns based on what they collect. so they will try everything to get your brothers number. if you can remember write down the time and date of the calls. It is important that a supervisor is made aware the company is breaking the law. you are wasting your time and engery in calling the phone company.
heck lol I'll call I would be all over them.
get tough, make the call
and if I was your shoes I would be on the phone with the corporate office and would make sure my brother was also. as I said before he may owe the money but they broke the law. Companies do not want to have to deal with the FDCPA. they may just make his balance go away in lieu of fines or a court case.
karla
p.s. I have 30 years in the credit industry so this isnt just guessed information.

I have a co-worker that once worked in collections. He said this is one of tricks of the trade. They call all your friends and/or relations to get information.
Perhaps you stated too much by admitting you had your brother's phone number?
I received a similar type call (but only once). I didn't tell them anything and just hung-up.

if they leave a message on your machine, that can serve as your recording. they KNEW it was being recorded on the machine, so consent is implied.

Bessie,

If you have an answering machine, many of them have a button that you can push to record the calls - but warn them first that you are recording.

Part of the conversation should be to ask them whether they may be aware that they are breaking the law by disclosures, as indicated in other posts. Also do they know how many times they have called you - then reel off the days and times. Also ask their address, as you will charge them $50.00 per call from now on - and want to know where to send the bill.

Make sure that you remember the name of the credit card co. - you can find their address on Google, or elsewhere.

Also, when they call again, (if you choose) ask them precisely how they found you on the internet. If yours is a common name, how did they know that you were of the same family as your brother and not one of the other dozen or so "Campbell"s in 25 cities in the area, etc. If they don't know - well, you don't know the information that they want, which you've told them a dozen times ... and this is only the first time that they've told you that they don't know much about how their business is run. Be as persistent as they have been with you. Get 'em off track - time is money to them.

Or, if they call again, as soon as you recognize them, say that person doesn't live here, or something similar, such as that you've told them before that you have no information for them ... and hang up, right then.

Get this taken care of before your company comes.

And have a great summer.

ole joyful

One day I received a strange phone call. this guy called saying he had the same last name as I did (it is not a common name) he said he and his wife karen had just moved here and when ever he moves to a new town he looks up his name to see if there are any relatives in the town. He was nice and after comparing notes no we were not related.
fast forward 6 months I got a call one morning waking me up (I was working 3 - 11) this guy said "is Karen there" I did the sorry who are you calling he said are you Karen same last name. I said no he said do you know karen. At this point I guess I was fully awake and I said to him "are you skip tracing for her" he was speechless. lol I told him I was in the credit industry and that was the reason I had figured it out. I was just listed a K same last name. I said we are not related it is a fluke to have 2 of the same name in the town to please remove the number. we both had a good chuckle he said he had never before had someone know what he was doing, and I never heard from him again.
Not to make this any longer but when we bought this house and got our new number I kept getting calls for a ron smith after the 5th call I started asking who is calling and low and behold it's credit companies. again I gave them the I know you are skip tracing he no longer has this number you are put on notice that this is not his number and unless you want to violate FDCPA regs do not call again. omg this guy must of skipped out on a bunch of bills
these people count on the general public not knowing the laws. the minute they get called on it they will "go away"
Karla
who now that she is married he is the only one in town with the last name :)

I did call the cc company today and told them that I was taping the call. I have kept track of every time I have been called and by whom. Once I mentioned the FDCPA, these people were the nicest people in the world. They told me that I would not be contacted again. I asked for that in writing, but was told that they wouldn't do that. Time will only tell if the calls stop. Thanks to everyone for the help. I can finally get a decent nights sleep tonight.

cha ching !!!!!!
way to go bessie
sweet dreams
Karla

Ain't a bit o' knowledge a wonderful thing?

Knowledge is *power*! Well, sometimes.

Sure do learn a lot on the internet, don't we?

If we go at using it sensibly.

ole joyful