consumer action protect your phone records protect your phone records

Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

Protect Your Phone Records


Purpose of the Training

• What private, personal information can be found in your phone records

• How to keep your personal information safe so you won’t be victimized

• Become familiar with laws that protect the privacy of your phone records

• What to do if your phone records are accessed without your permission


Objectives

• You will learn Why someone would try to access

your phone records Who would try to access your phone

records How predators, crooks and loved

ones may access private information How to protect yourself from

becoming a victim


About Phone Records

• Phone records are an important source of valuable information Someone may try to access this

information without your consent for identity theft or other harmful purposes

• Various laws and protections are in place to keep your phone records private But you must take an active role in

protecting your personal data


Phone Record Information

• Your landline phone records contain Billing address and/or home address Long distance or local telephone numbers

dialed from your phone Calls billed to a calling card or credit card Numbers from which collect calls were

accepted Dates and lengths of calls outside your

calling area.



• Your cellular phone records contain The phone calls made or received by you

and other family plan members

• Your online phone account records may contain Contact information you provided, such as

address, home or office phone numbers Bank or credit information, such as credit

or debit card numbers and bank account numbers



• Your phone company may also keep Birthdate Social Security number All telephone and Internet services to

which you subscribe Information about your cell phone

that could be used to track the location of the person who has it


Who Wants Phone Records?

• Many people may want your phone records including Con artists and identity thieves Data brokers / salespeople Ex-spouses or former partners Someone who wants to sue you Stalkers Investigators, spies, bail bondsmen Criminals for retaliation purposes


Uses for Your Phone Records

• How could someone use the information from your phone records? Wife going through a divorce uses her

husband’s phone records to argue that he was playing around with other women

Jealous employee obtains a co-worker’s phone records and finds that he frequently calls an AIDS support group. He spreads rumors that the co-worker has AIDS.

• Other examples?


Access to Phone Records

• Some ways to access phone records Pretexting (pretending to be the

account holder or someone else) Reading another person’s bills Accessing phone accounts online


Pretexting

• Pretexting is using false pretenses to obtain someone else’s personal information Impersonating the victim or spouse Telling lies Conning a company employee or

other individual


Pretexting

• Pretexters obtain your information via You and your neighbors, family, co-workers

• For example, “phone surveys” that ask for information such as the family pet’s name, a common password on accounts

Public records• home purchases• bankruptcy• business start up• marital status


Pretexting

• Pretexting is illegal There are laws in place to protect

victims of pretexting

• Exceptions Law enforcement• agencies such as police or the FBI, can

lawfully obtain your phone records Phone companies• turn over customer phone records if

compelled by a subpoena or a court order


Laws Against Pretexting

• 1999 — Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act Prohibits pretexting to obtain financial

records

• 2006 — Telephone Records and Privacy Protection Act Makes the use of pretexting to buy, sell or

obtain phone records a federal crime

• 2007 — The Federal Communications Commission Requires phone companies to use stringent

authentication measures to protect phone records


If Your Records Are Breached

• Phone companies are required to notify customers Timing of the notification depends on

the circumstances of the breach and the instructions of law enforcement


Protecting Your Phone Records

• Ways to keep your phone records private Get an non-published number Set up strong passwords Limit the information you share Inquire about information needed Enlist family members not to divulge

information Keep phone bills and other paperwork

containing personal information under lock and key



• New FCC security measures effective at the end of 2007• All phone companies must

Require passwords for account info• Some exceptions to passwording apply

Notification on password changes Customer consent before releasing

data Notification if confidentiality of

records is breached



• Ask your phone company to Deactivate the online access feature

if you don’t manage your account online

If it’s possible to remove call details from your phone bills


Phone Company Responsibility

• Phone companies must Keep records of whether customers

grant permission to use their account information for marketing

Keep records of all breaches in which customer information is disclosed to third parties

Train employees in the appropriate use of customer information

continued…


Phone Company Responsibility

…continued

Uphold marketing privacy standards Release annual certificates that its

procedures comply with FCC rules Inform the FCC of any legal actions

taken against data brokers Provide a summary of the complaints

about unauthorized disclosure of customer information


CPNI

• Customer proprietary network information includes services you subscribe to whom you call when you call how long your calls are, etc

• Generally, the use of CPNI without customer permission is prohibited opt out / opt in


CPNI, Sales and Marketing

• Your phone company can use your information without your permission to Offer you enhanced services of the same

type you subscribe to Use customer information for creating

directories.

• Phone companies are prohibited from using CPNI to lure back customers who have switched to another service provider


If You Become a Victim

• If you believe your phone records have been stolen Report to your phone company Close account and open new account Set up passwords to prevent

unauthorized access File an incident report with police



• Complain to the FCC Email • [email protected]

Online• www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints.html

Mail• FCC - Consumer Complaints• 445 12th Street SW• Washington, DC 20554


For More Information Contact

• Complain to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Phone

• 877-382-4357

Web site• www.ftc.gov

Mail• Consumer Response Center• 600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW• Washington, DC 20580


Protect Your Phone Records is a joint educational partnership brought to you by Consumer Action, the National Consumers

League (NCL) and Verizon

For more information:

Consumer Action: 415-777-9648

Web site: www.consumer-action.org

Email: [email protected]

http://www.consumer-action.org/

consumer action protect your phone records protect your phone records

Documents

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