[IP] more on Web Sites Offer Private Cell Phone Information

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Christopher F. Herot" <cherot@herot.com>
Date: November 28, 2005 4:39:57 PM EST
To: dave@farber.net
Subject: RE: [IP] Web Sites Offer Private Cell Phone Information



The Washington Post ran a much more detailed story on this in July.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/07/ 
AR2005070701
862.html

According to the article, there are three possible methods of  
obtaining the
information:
-bribing a telco employee
-pretexting (pretending to be the customer)
-activating the on-line account management before the customer does so.

All of the above are of dubious legality, although neither the phone
companies nor the government show much interest in halting the practice.



-----Original Message-----
From: David Farber [mailto:dave@farber.net]
Sent: Monday, November 28, 2005 4:03 PM
To: ip@v2.listbox.com
Subject: [IP] Web Sites Offer Private Cell Phone Information



Begin forwarded message:

From: Evan Korth <korth@cs.nyu.edu>
Date: November 28, 2005 3:56:39 PM EST
To: Dave Farber <dave@farber.net>
Subject: Web Sites Offer Private Cell Phone Information

Web Sites Offer Private Cell Phone Information

POSTED: 7:17 am EST November 28, 2005
UPDATED: 11:15 am EST November 28, 2005

A Problem Solvers investigation has discovered that several Web sites
will sell the last 100 phone numbers you have dialed to anyone who
knows your phone number.

The report found that sites like Locate Cell will sell the private
phone numbers for about $100.

Once the fee is paid on the Web sites, anyone can get access to the
phone numbers, including bank, doctor and work numbers, Local 6 News
reported.

The Web sites are not illegal, according to the report.

If you believe someone has found your private information through a
cell phone number, you are urged to contact the Florida Attorney
General's Office.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
---
story at:
http://www.local6.com/money/5416040/detail.html

--------------------------------------------------

Here is a link for the service:

http://www.locatecell.com/celltoll.html

It would seem to me that the carriers would have to make this
information available for this company to resell the information.
Does anyone on IP know how this works?

Evan Korth
Clinical Assistant Professor
Computer Science Department
New York University


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