Se habla español

P.O. Box 113297
Carrollton, TX 75011

PRIVACY POLICY

Your privacy is important to Scott & Associates, PC (“SA”).  Our Privacy Policy covers how SA, through this website, will collect information that can identify you and/or your activity. We will use your information to respond to requests you may make of us, and from time to time, we may refer to this information for other purposes.

By visiting our website, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

Personal Information We Collect

Personal identification information is data that can be used to identify or contact you.

We may collect your name, address, SA file number, email address, and telephone number when you use our online services. Our online services may ask for banking information to complete a payment transaction.

How We Use the Information We Collect:

We use the information to respond to your requests. For example, we use your information to complete the transaction(s) that you requested.  And we use information as otherwise allowed by law. 

What do we do with your personal information?

Federal Law gives consumers the right to limit some personal information from being shared but not all. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information.

This information can include:

  • Social Security Number and/or
  • Bank Account Information
 

Reason we can share your personal information

The reason we can share your personal information is for our everyday business purposes such as to process your payment transactions and to maintain your account.

  • Does SA share? Yes.
  • Can you limit sharing in this respect? No.
 

Disclosure to Third Parties

We only share personal information with a limited number of third-party service providers who help us provide our services, including, but not limited to, payment processing, mailing, information verification, managing and enhancing customer data, and improving our product and services.  When we share information, we require those third parties to handle it in accordance with relevant laws. We also only share the minimum amount of information necessary for the particular third party to assist us in providing our services.  

Here are some examples of how SA shares personal information:

  • For payment processing, we share your bank information to the payment gateway vendor to complete the payment you authorized.
  • For content delivery, we share your email address, physical address, or phone number with the delivery service to deliver any communication, message, or requested account documents.
  • For collectability, we share name and address to ensure no bankruptcy events, deceased events, address, or phone number changes have occurred since we received the account.
  • For debt collection licensing, we share account information with state regulators conducting an audit according to state or federal licensing statutes.
  • We may be occasionally required by law enforcement or judicial authorities to provide information. We will disclose personal information according to a court order, subpoena, or to cooperate with a law enforcement investigation. 

We may also be required by law to provide your information to a local, state, or federalgovernment authority or court.  We will only disclose information in these instances when there is a lawful basis or if disclosure is reasonably necessary to demonstrate compliance with the law.

We may share generic accumulated demographic information not linked to any personally identifiable information with our clients, potential clients, and federal, state, and local regulators regarding visitors and users, and their interaction with our products and services.

No Sale

We do not sell personal information.  We do not allow our third-party service providers to sell this information or otherwise use it for marketing purposes.

Retention of Personal Information:

SA will retain your personal information for the period required to fulfill our services, meet our contractual obligations, and as required by law.  When assessing these periods, we only retain it for the shortest possible period unless a longer retention period is required by law. 

Cookies

Our website uses cookies. Cookies are files with small amount of data that may include an anonymous unique identifier.  Cookies are sent to your browser from a website and stored on your device.  Cookies help us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site and services.

You can instruct your browser to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent but some parts of the website may not function properly without accepting cookies. 

We may use cookies in the following ways:

  • Where they are essential to make our site work
  • To enable the personalization features on our site (which give you the ability to recall recently viewed pages and see information which you have input online)
  • To compile anonymous, accumulated statistics that allow us to understand how our site is used and to help us improve the structure of our site. We cannot identify you personally in this way.

 

Security of Data

To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we employ comprehensive security measures to prevent unauthorized access to information that we collect online. These measures include computer and network safeguards and secured files and buildings. However, we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your personal information.

Children’s Privacy

We recognize the importance of protecting children’s online privacy. This website is a general audience site and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 16.

Third Party Websites

Our website may contain links to other sites that are not operated by us.  We do not control the content or links that appear on these sites and are not responsible for the practices employed by websites linked to or from our site. In addition, these sites or services, including their content and links, may be constantly changing.  These sites and services may have their own privacy policies and customer service policies. Browsing and interaction on any other website is subject to that website’s own terms and policies.

Text Messaging (SMS)

No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/promotional purposes.  All of the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.

Changes to Our Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy or any part of it from time to time. Please review the policy periodically for changes.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns regarding our privacy policies and practices, please contact us via info@scott-pc.com.

Disclaimer

The information contained on this website does not create an attorney-client relationship nor should the information on this website be construed as legal advice. You should always consult the advice of a lawyer before making any decisions regarding any legal matters referred to herein. This website is intended to provide general information only.

California Consumer Privacy Notice

 

(To obtain a copy of this notice in an alternative format please phone Scott & Associates (“we”, “our”, and “us”) at (866)-298-3155 or email us at info@scott-pc.com).  You can also download PDF files of this notice here.)

 

This California Consumer Privacy Notice (“Notice”) supplements our Scott & Associates Privacy Policy.  This Notice applies solely to California consumers, including personnel working on behalf of our business partners (e.g., vendors), subject to the exceptions listed below.   This Notice applies to personal information we collect about California consumers, both on our website and offline. 

 

This Notice does not apply to:

  • Scott & Associates personnel or job applicants (see Privacy Policy For Employees And Applicants section below);
  • Information we collect, process or disclose in connection with the provision of financial services per the U.S. Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and its implementing regulations (“GLBA”). If you have a financial service with us, we will use and share the personal information that we collect from or about you in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
  •  

This Notice uses certain terms that have the meaning given to them in the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (the “CCPA”), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 (the “CPRA”), and its implementing regulations (the “CCPA/CPRA”).

 

Notice of Collection and Source of Personal Information

 

We only knowingly collect information covered by GLBA, and therefore, exempt from the CCPA. 

 

During the 12-month period before the effective date of this Notice, we typically collect the following categories of information from you (and others as noted):

  • Personal identifying information, including, but not limited to name, address, telephone number, social security number, account number, email address, driver’s license number, as well as other identifying information, which we obtain from a person’s creditor, and/or credit reports and/or third-party data providers and/or the consumer;
  • Characteristics such as age, gender, etc., which we obtain from credit reports and/or a person’s creditor and/or the consumer;
  • Retail information, which we obtain from credit reports and/or a person’s creditor;
  • Internet activity such as IP address from cookies, after visiting our websites or payment portal;
  • Banking information, which we obtain from a person’s creditor and/or credit reports and/or third-party data providers and/or the consumer;
  • Geolocation data and location data, including GPS coordinates, which we obtain from process servers if there is a lawsuit filed;
  • Call recordings, which are made when the consumer has a telephone conversation with us;
  • Professional and employment-related information, which we obtain from the consumer’s creditor, credit reports, third-party data providers, consumer’s employer, and/or the consumer;
  • Educational information, which we obtain from the consumer’s creditor, credit reports, and/or possibly any applications or other documents gathered from a person’s creditor; and
  • Biometric information including, but not limited to physical descriptions, photos and voiceprints (audio recordings), which we obtained from person’s creditor and/or process servers if there is a lawsuit, and recordings which are made when the consumer has a telephone conversation with us.

 

Use of Personal Information

 

We may use (and may have used during the 12-month period prior to the effective date of this Notice) your personal information for the purposes described in our Privacy Policy and for the following Business Purposes specified in the CCPA/CPRA:

  • Performing services, including maintaining or servicing accounts, providing customer service, processing or fulfilling transactions, processing or fulfilling information or services requested by you, verifying customer information, processing payments, providing analytics services, providing storage, or providing similar services;
  • Auditing compliance;
  • Helping to ensure security and integrity to the extent the use of your personal information is reasonably necessary and proportionate for these purposes;
  • Debugging to identify and repair errors that impair existing intended functionality;
  • Undertaking internal research for technological development and demonstration; and
  • Undertaking activities to verify or maintain the quality or safety of a service or device that is owned, manufactured, manufactured for, or controlled by us, and to improve, upgrade, or enhance the service or device that is owned, manufactured, manufactured for, or controlled by us.

Other business or business operational purposes as follows:

  • Debt collection.
  • To carry out our obligations and enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, including for collections.
  • To carry out our obligations and enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and our clients, including for collections.
  • To improve our website and present its contents to you.
  • For testing, research, analysis and service development.
  • As necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property or safety of us, our clients or others.
  • To respond to law enforcement requests and as required by applicable law, court order, governmental regulations, or comply with a court order or subpoena to provide information.
  • To comply with any attorney ethical obligations
  • As described to you when collecting your Personal Information

We do not collect or process sensitive personal information with the purpose of inferring characteristics about California consumers covered by this Notice. 

 

Retention of Personal Information

 

We will retain your personal information for the time period reasonably necessary to achieve the purposes described in our Privacy Policy and this Notice, and/or otherwise required by law or attorney ethical obligations to be retained. 

 

Sale or Sharing of Personal Information

 

We do not and will not sell your personal information or share your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising purposes.

 

Disclosure of Personal Information

 

During the 12-month period prior to the effective date of this Notice, we may have disclosed the following categories of personal information about you for a Business Purpose to the following categories of third parties:

Category of Personal Information

Category of Third Party

Identifiers per Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.140 (v)(1)(A)

  • Vendors who provide services on our behalf
  • Professional services organizations, such as independent auditors
  • Data analytics providers

Characteristics of protected classifications under California or federal law per Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.140 (v)(1)(C)

  • Vendors who provide services on our behalf
  • Professional services organizations, such as independent auditors
  • Data analytics providers

Online Activity per Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.140 (v)(1)(F)

  • Vendors who provide services on our behalf
  • Professional services organizations, such as independent auditors
  • Data analytics providers

Sensory Information per Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.140 (v)(1)(H)

  • Vendors who provide services on our behalf
  • Professional services organizations, such as independent auditors
  • Data analytics providers

 

We also disclose personal information for Business Purposes to whom you or your agents authorize us to disclose your personal information in connection with products or services we provide to you.

Trusted service providers and contractors are used to perform functions and provide services for us for a Business Purpose. We may disclose your personal information with them, but only to the extent necessary to perform these functions and provide such services, such as perfecting service of process, processing payments, and data analytics.

We do not use or disclose Sensitive Personal Information for purposes other than those as specified Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.121(a).

California Consumer Privacy Rights

A consumer has the right to request that we disclose the following upon receipt of a verified request:

Right to Know: You have the right to request, twice in a 12-month period, that we disclose to you:

  • The categories of personal information we collect;
  • The categories of sources from which the personal information is collected;
  • The purpose for collecting the personal information;
  • The categories of third parties with whom the business shares personal information; and
  • The specific pieces of personal information we have collected, disclosed, or sold during the past 12 months.

 

Right to Correction: You have the right to request that we correct the personal information we maintain about you, if that information is inaccurate.

 

Right to Deletion: You have the right to request that we delete certain personal information we have collected from you, subject to various exceptions.  The information that Scott & Associates collects generally falls within an exception and does not have to be deleted upon request.  Nonetheless, such a request can be made to Scott & Associates at (866)-298-3155 or fill out this form and email us at info@scott-pc.com). 

 

Right to Opt-Out of Sale or Sharing: You have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information or the sharing of your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising purposes. As described above, we do not sell personal information or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising purposes. 

 

How to Submit a Request. If you wish to request the categories of information or the actual information we have collected about you, please call us at (866)-298-3155 or fill out this form and email us at info@scott-pc.com).  Scott & Associates is a debt collector and all information that is collected will be used for debt collection purposes.

 

Verification. To help protect your privacy and maintain security, we will take steps to verify your identity before granting you access to your personal information or complying with your request. Once we receive your request, we will compare the information you provided with the information Scott & Associates already has.  If we can verify that the request came from you, we will provide the required information.  We will match 2-3 identifying, personal information data points to verify that the request came from the consumer.  If we cannot verify that the request came from the consumer, we will notify the consumer.

 

Right to Non-Discrimination. You have a right not to receive discriminatory treatment by us for the exercise of the privacy rights conferred by the CCPA/CPRA.

 

The California Privacy Act provides that a consumer can designate an authorized agent to make a request under the California Consumer Privacy Act.  The consumer must provide either a power of attorney or written authorization to authorize an agent to make a request.

 

This privacy policy was last updated on April 28, 2023. 

 

Privacy Policy For Employees And Applicants

 

The California Consumer Privacy Act requires that we disclose the categories of personal information we typically collect and use in the context of a person’s role as a job applicant or employee. We typically collect the following categories of information from you and others as noted:

  1. Identifiers such as personal identifying information, including, but not limited to name, address, telephone number, social security number, email address, work authorization documents, bank account information, as well as other identifying information from you, your creditor, credit reports and/or third-party data providers;
  2. Personal information as defined in the California Customer Records Act, Cal. Civ. Code Section 1798.80 such as contact information, health information, insurance information, financial information, results of drug testing and criminal background information.
  3. Protected classifications under California or federal law such as age, race, color, citizenship, marital status, gender, etc. from you and providers of background checks;
  4. Internet or similar activity information such as IP address from your browsing history, search history, information on an interaction with websites and applications;
  5. Geolocation data such as device location if you work remotely;
  6. Audio, electronic, visual or similar information such as call and video recordings;
  7. Biometric information such as photos or other physical patterns;
  8. Professional and employment related information from you and/or third-party data providers;
  9. Educational information from you and/or third-party data providers;
  10. Information such as work history and performance evaluations; and
  11. Certain inferences concerning an individual’s preferences, abilities, aptitudes and characteristics

We collect personal information relating to employees and applicants who are California residents in a variety of contexts, including in connection with applications for employment, Human Resource activities and job-related activities. The categories of personal information that we collect and use about a California resident will depend on our specific relationship or interaction with that individual, and the examples provided in each category above are for illustrative purposes only.

 

Purposes for Which We Use Personal Information:

 

We may use personal information relating to employees and applicants who are California residents for one or more of the following business purposes:

  • Evaluating employment applications and employee performance
  • Providing and maintaining our employee related services
  • Conducting pre-employment screenings
  • Protecting against security risks
  • Conducting research and data analysis
  • Maintaining our facilities, systems, and infrastructure
  • Improving our employee related services
  • Carrying out our legal and business purposes, such as complying with federal, state, or local laws, responding to civil, criminal, or regulatory lawsuits or investigations, exercising our rights or defending against legal claims, resolving complaints and disputes, performing compliance activities, performing institutional risk control, and otherwise operating, managing, and maintaining our business
  • As otherwise disclosed to you at or before the point of collecting your personal information

 

We may also use personal information relating to California residents for one or more of the specific “business purposes” listed in the CCPA:

 

  • Auditing related to an employee
  • Detecting security incidents, protecting against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity, and prosecuting those responsible for that activity
  • Debugging to identify and repair errors that impair existing intended functionality
  • Short-term, transient use
  • Performing services on behalf of clients or their service providers, including maintaining or servicing employees’ accounts, providing employees service, processing or fulfilling orders and transactions, verifying employees or applicant’s information, processing payroll, or providing similar services on behalf of Scott & Associates or its service providers
  • Undertaking internal research for technological development and demonstration
  • Undertaking activities to verify or maintain the quality or safety of a service that is owned or controlled by Scott & Associates.

 

Changes to This CCPA Disclosure

 

We may change or update this CCPA Disclosure in the future. When we do, we will post the revised CCPA Disclosure To Employees and Applicants on our website.

 

 

Consumer Privacy Policy for Text Messaging

 

Effective Date: May 18, 2023

 

Overview:


Scott & Associates (“SA”) is committed to protecting consumer privacy and ensuring the security of consumer personal and sensitive information. This Text Messaging Privacy Policy outlines how SA handles and protects consumer Personally Identifiable Information (PII) when communicating via text message, and the measures SA takes to prevent unauthorized third-party disclosure. Additionally, SA tracks complaints and responses from phone numbers to ensure accuracy.

 

By providing us your mobile number and opting-in and by interacting with us via text messaging, you acknowledge and consent to the practices described in this policy.  By providing us with your mobile number and opting-in, you also agree you have ownership rights or permission to use the number given to us.

 

  1. Information Collection and Use

 

1.1 Collection of PII: SA collects PII through text messaging solely for the purpose of debt collection and related communications. This information may include, but is not limited to:

  • Full name
  • Contact information (phone number, email address)
  • Account number
  • Payment information

 

1.2 Use of PII: SA uses the collected information for debt collection purposes, including:

  • Contacting consumers regarding outstanding debts
  • Sending payment reminders and notifications
  • Providing relevant account information
  • Resolving disputes or inquiries

 

  1. Protection of PII

 

2.1 Security Controls: SA has implemented physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to protect consumer PII from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:

  • Encryption of data in transit and at rest
  • Secure storage and restricted access to electronic records
  • Regular monitoring of systems for vulnerabilities
  • Employee training on privacy and security protocols

 

2.2 Compliance with FDCPA, TCPA, GLBA, HIPAA, and CTIA Guidelines: SA is committed to complying with the following regulations and guidelines:

  • Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA)
  • Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)
  • Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA)
  • Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
  • CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices Guidelines

 

  1. Third-Party Disclosure

 

3.1 Consent and Legal Requirements: SA does not disclose consumer PII to unauthorized third parties unless required by law, with consumer explicit consent, or for debt collection purposes. SA may share consumer information with trusted service providers who assist us in debt collection activities, subject to strict confidentiality agreements.

 

  1. Complaints and Response Tracking

 

4.1 Tracking Phone Numbers: SA maintains records of complaints, responses, and other interactions associated with phone numbers to ensure accuracy and prevent errors. This helps us maintain effective communication with consumers and avoid contacting the wrong parties.

 

4.2 Complaint Handling: If you have any concerns or complaints regarding our text messaging practices or the handling of consumer information, please contact us at info@scott-pc.com. SA will promptly investigate and respond to consumer complaint to address any issues and resolve the matter.

 

  1. Opt-Out and Unsubscribe

 

5.1 Right to Opt-Out: If you no longer wish to receive text messages from us, you have the right to opt-out of further communications at any time. To do so, please follow the opt-out instructions provided in the text message or text STOP to any text message we send to you.  An opt-out confirmation will be sent back to you.

 

5.2 Effect on Debt Collection: Please note that opting out of text messaging communication may limit our ability to effectively communicate with you regarding consumer outstanding debts and related matters. SA may need to use alternative communication channels to reach you.

 

  1. Support

 

To request support:  Text HELP to any text message we send to you or email us at info@scott-pc.com.

           

  1. Other

 

  • If your handset does not support MMS, any MMS messages sent may be delivered as SMS messages.
  • Number of messages will vary by account.
  • Messaging and data rates may apply.
  • No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/promotional purposes.  All of the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties, except as outlined in Paragraph 3 above.

 

  1. Updates to the Privacy Policy

 

SA will update or modify this Text Messaging Privacy Policy at regular intervals. Please review the policy periodically for changes.

 

  1. Contact Us

 

If you have any questions or concerns regarding our Text Messaging Policy, please contact us via email at info@scott-pc.com.