How To Protect Your Wages From Garnishment If You Are About To Be Sued

How to protect your employment info and prevent wage garnishment

Having worked in the financial services industry for years, I want to share a protection strategy for anyone who's fallen behind on debts or anticipates financial difficulties. Here's a guide on freezing your employment data, why it matters, and exactly how to do it:

Who needs to do this immediately:

- Anyone with unpaid debt in collections

- People who've received debt collection letters or calls

- Those who anticipate falling behind on payments soon

- Anyone who's been sued or thinks they might be sued for a debt

- People trying to negotiate settlements with creditors

Why freezing your employment data is critical:

Debt collectors use specialized databases to find your employer information before suing you. When they can easily verify where you work and how much you make, the path to garnishment becomes almost automatic. By freezing these reports, you're removing their easiest tool for finding your employer.

This doesn't make the debt disappear, but it:

- Forces collectors to use more expensive, time-consuming court procedures

- Creates leverage for better settlement offers

- Gives you time to prepare financial defenses

- Makes you a less attractive target for immediate litigation

Exactly how to freeze your employment data:

1. The Work Number (Equifax Workforce Solutions)- Call: 866-604-6570- Request a "security freeze" on your employment file- They'll verify your identity and process the request- Get a confirmation number and keep records of your request- Note: This is different from a regular Equifax credit freeze!
2. LexisNexis Risk Solutions- Call: 888-497-0011- Request: "I want to place a security freeze on my consumer report files"- They'll ask for identifying information (name, address, SSN)- Ask for written confirmation of the freeze- Follow up online at: https://consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com/
3. Experian Verify- Call Experian: 888-397-3742- Specifically request a freeze on their employment verification database- Clarify this is not the same as a regular credit freeze- Get confirmation in writing if possible
4. Regular Credit Bureaus - Equifax: https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/- Experian: https://www.experian.com/freeze/- TransUnion: https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze- Innovis: https://www.innovis.com/personal/securityFreeze

Important timing considerations:

The best time to freeze these reports is BEFORE a lawsuit is filed. Here's why:

- Collection firms check these databases during their pre-suit evaluation

- Once they have your employer information, freezing doesn't remove what they already know

- After a judgment, they have court-ordered tools to obtain this information

Real-world situations where this helps:

- Case 1: You've fallen behind on credit card payments and are receiving collection calls

- Case 2: You have medical debt that's been sent to collections

- Case 3: You're trying to negotiate a settlement but the collector won't budge

- Case 4: You've been served with a debt lawsuit and need time to respond

- Case 5: You're planning to file bankruptcy but need time to prepare

Why most people don't know about this:

Collection law firms rely on quick, cheap access to your employment data. They have no incentive to inform you about your right to freeze these reports. The FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) gives you this right, but most consumers never learn about it until after garnishment has already started.

By freezing these reports early, you're exercising one of the most effective legal protections available to consumers facing debt collection.

The FCRA explicitly gives you the right to freeze your consumer reports, including specialty reports like employment verification data.