- The FTC Web site provides facts about pretexting
- ID Theft provides information to the consumer about identity theft and how pretexting is used to gain access to personal information
- PI magazine discusses the use of pretexting during the course of an investigation
- Read an article about pretexting, ID theft, and what it means
- Information about H.R. 4709: Telephone Records and Privacy Protection Act of 2006 which outlaws pretexting
- Federal Trade Commissions privacy rules prevent the use of pretexting to gain personal information
- Review the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) efforts to stop identity theft and prevent pretexting
- The United States House of Representatives provides a video on the hearing conducted to combat pretexting
- Dictionary.com provides definitions for pretexting
- The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) on preventing pretexting
- The U.S. Department of Justice and some telecommunication carriers protest a bill that would prevent the use of pretexting to gain customers personal information
Articles about Pretexting
How To Place Yourself in the Secure Society
By Scott Morris
In the United States alone, Identity theft has reached $53 billion dollars a year. Consumers are directly shouldering about $5 billion of that, but the rest, which is paid by businesses and retailers, is passed on indirectly to consumers who are paying more for goods and services.
Ghostbusters: Busting Pretexters
Pretexting is an ostensible or professed purpose, an excuse. Thus, when one (or even many) engages in the act of pretexting, the pretexting is not the real reason or motivations behind the action(s) that make up the pretexting.
Whose Hand is in Your Pocket
By Dale Collie
How does this ID theft work? Bad guys get your name, social security number, or credit card number and start charging purchases or opening lines of credit.
Tax Season is Bringing Out Identity Thieves
Spoofing is generally used by thieves as a means to convince individuals to provide personal or financial information that enables the perpetrators to commit credit card/bank fraud or other forms of identity theft.