Protect your phone records and your privacy – National Consumers League

September 2, 2008

Washington, DC- Phone records have become another opportunity for identity thieves, warns the National Consumers League, but there are new security measures for protecting personal information and phone records. This month, NCL is offering consumers advice on how to protect themselves from pretexting in its “2008 Consumer Calendar Tips: Do We Have Tips for You!”

“Pretexting,” when an ID thief contacts a telephone company pretending to be a customer, is an illegal way people may attempt to obtain your personal information. The Federal Communications Commission has implemented new rules to make this attack more difficult, by requiring that all people calling for phone records provide their password to the company before any information is released. Over the Internet, access to records will also require a password, and in-person, it will require a photo ID.

The nation’s oldest consumer advocacy organization, NCL works to educate people about how to make wise decisions in today’s marketplace. Each month, NCL’s Web site, www.nclnet.org, will feature the calendar and tips for the month. Covering a range of subjects from medication safety, to avoiding scams, the tips are sponsored by major companies, government agencies, and organizations. The September tips about protecting telephone records were sponsored by Verizon.

The print version of the calendar was distributed to consumers free of charge through agencies and organizations around the country. There are no printed copies of the calendar remaining.

###

About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.