Protect Your Phone Records Consumer Action Protect Your

Protect Your Phone Records Consumer Action 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 Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

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 Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

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 Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

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. Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

Phone Record Information • 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 Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

Phone Record Information • 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 Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

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 Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

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? Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

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 Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

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 Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

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 Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

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 Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

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 Consumer Action Protect Your 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 Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

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 Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

Protecting Your Phone Records • 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 Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

Protecting Your Phone Records • 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 Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

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… Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

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 Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

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 Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

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 Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

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 Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

Protecting Your Phone Records • Complain to the FCC § Email • fccinfo@fcc. gov § Online • www. fcc. gov/cgb/complaints. html § Mail • FCC - Consumer Complaints • 445 12 th Street SW • Washington, DC 20554 Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

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 Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records

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: outreach@consumer-action. org Consumer Action Protect Your Phone Records