Cell Phone Records
Companies referring to themselves as “data brokers” are illegally obtaining and selling cell phone information, without consumers’ permission. Employees of these “data brokers” pretend to be cell phone customers or even cell phone company employees in order to illegally access customer information, ranging from individual cell phone numbers, to the name and address of a cell phone user, to a user’s call records. The information is then sold for a fee online. Regardless of how the information is obtained, this scheme of stealing and selling information is an unlawful act of fraud and a breach of consumers’ personal information.Fortunately, cell phone companies and the federal government are taking a stand against these data thieves. Several cell phone companies have brought legal action against the companies unlawfully obtaining and selling consumer information. Other cell phone companies have launched full-scale investigations into the wrongful access and sale of private customer information.
The Federal Trade Commission has launched its own investigations into this illegal practice and is working closely with the Federal Communications Commission to put the data thieves that are stealing customer information out of business – permanently! Additionally, several state and federal lawmakers have introduced legislation banning the acquisition, sale or receipt of cell phone records. Several Committees on Capitol Hill are proposing various means to prosecute these data thieves.
MyWireless.org will keep wireless consumers up-to-date on this important issue as it continues to develop. As the federal government and various state governments offer proposals that will help protect your cell phone information, MyWireless.org will provide information tools to help consumers support efforts to stop the theft and sale of cell phone information. Check back at www.MyWireless.org for updates on this and other issues that impact your cell phone service.