Justice Department to FCC: Delay Telling Victims of Pretexting
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WANTS PHONE COMPANIES TO DELAY TELLING CONSUMERS THAT THEIR CALLING RECORDS HAVE BEEN STOLEN
[SOURCE: Lasar's Letter on the FCC, AUTHOR: Matthew Lasar]
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has formally asked the Federal Communications Commission to "include a mechanism of delay" in any rules requiring phone companies to notify consumers that their records have been "pretexted" — that is, stolen. The delay would last at least a week, and could go on indefinitely. "Allowing for delayed consumer notification in appropriate cases enhances our ability to investigate the circumstances surrounding the loss of the data and, thereby, advances consumer protection," Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty wrote to the FCC on December 28th, 2006. The DOJ request comes in the context of an FCC proceeding to establish security measures against "pretexters"—con artists who trick phone companies into disclosing customer records, then sell those records to others.
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Justice Department to FCC: Delay Telling Victims of Pretexting