TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: AT&T Sues Data Brokers For Stolen Customer Records

AT&T Sues Data Brokers For Stolen Customer Records

Reuters News Wire (reuters@telecom-digest.org)
Wed, 23 Aug 2006 14:30:18 -0500

AT&T Inc. on Wednesday sued 25 unnamed data brokers, accusing them of
fraudulently gaining access to about 2,500 customers' calling records.

The lawsuit, filed in a U.S. District Court division in San Antonio,
said the "John Doe" defendants often collected information for use in
legal or domestic disputes.

AT&T said they used a method known as "pretexting," or setting up
online accounts by using identification data such as Social Security
numbers. Through the online accounts, the brokers obtained access to
customer information, including calling records.

No driver's license numbers or sensitive financial data were
accessible, the company said.

AT&T said the lawsuit was a step toward identifying the perpetrators
by using e-mail addresses and Internet Protocol addresses and to seek
damages.

The company said it had already contacted customers who may have been
affected and had taken steps to prevent such violations.

"This affects only a tiny fraction of our customers," AT&T Chief
Privacy Officer Priscilla Hill-Ardoin said in a statement. "But we
will pursue this on behalf of our customers to the end."

Copyright 2006 Reuters Limited.

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[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: This is really a good example of Brass
Bedsprings, isn't it? AT&T self-righteously plans to sue for the
invasion of 'privacy'; yet the company is being sued by members of
the public for the very same thing regards turning over its records
to Homeland Security, which _they_ feel is just fine. PAT]

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