Resources and Links About Pretexting

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides information to protect America's consumers. The FTC Web site provides facts about pretexting and how to prevent the theft of telephone records, Social Security numbers, and bank and credit card account numbers.

1. View the FTC page on initiatives regarding pretexting.
2. a definition of pretexting can be found at Search CIO.
3. Definition of pretexting provided by Dictionary.com.
4. View an article about Pretexting: Your Personal Information Revealed from the Education Center.
5. An article from VOIP detailing how you can protect yourself from pretexting.
6. An article about the FTC on Pretexting as found at PI Magazine
7. Microsoft implicated in pretexting scandal through pretexting scammers who use social engineering tactics on the Microsoft support staff for Xbox Live.
8. Article from CNET Business about how Telcos may face anti pretexting regulations.
9. GovTrack publishes records of legal motions about pretexting passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate
10. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has charged an internet business with violating federal law by using pretexting techniques to obtain personal information. The business sold phone records and credit card account numbers to 3rd party vendors.
11. Slashdot reports that some Republicans are participating in a Robocall Pretexting campaign. The technique violates the guidelines of the Federal Trade Commission which mandates a caller to identify themselves at the beginning of a phone conversation.
12. The music and recording industry claims that California's pretexting bill is unjust. The groups use pretexting techniques to protect their intellectual property and are asking the California Senate for an exemption from the proposed bill.
13. A free preview about AT&T's pretexting case is available from the Wall Street Journal online. A full view of the article is available for subscribers of the publication.
14. Nevada Legislator David Parks pushed through a law that outlaws the use pretexting techniques in order to gain personal information. The law outlaws the practice of fraudulently obtaining personal information to access personal records.
15. The House plans to combat pretexting with H.R. 936 - Prevention of Fraudulent Access to Pone Records Act. EPIC Director, Mark Rotenberg, testified about the importance of privacy protection for phone records before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
16. Representative Jay Inslee (D - Wash.) and Marsha Blackburn (R - Tenn.) introduced The Consumer Telephone Records Protection Act to Congress to combat pretexting. The proposed bill would require telephone companies to alert customers if their records were falsely accessed.
17. The U.S. Department of Justice and some telecommunication carriers are protesting a bill that would prevent the use of pretexting to gain customers personal information. The bill would allow the Federal Trade Commission to file lawsuits against people who conduct pretexting and the companies that hire them.
18. ID Theft provides information to the consumer about identity theft and how pretexting is used to gain access to personal information. The site defines pretexting as "the practice of getting your personal information under false pretenses."
19. Intelius, a company founded by Naveen Jain provides a product called ID Watch to protect consumers against ID Theft, pretexting, and other scams. View links for Naveen Jain and Intelius.
20. The United States House of Representatives provides a video on the hearing conducted to combat pretexting. Panel members discussed the proposed bill H.R. 936: the Prevention of Fraudulent Access to Pone Records Act.
21. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) published the testimony of Marc Rotenberg who is the Executive Director of the center. Mr. Totenberg spoke to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation about preventing pretexting and protecting the privacy of phone records.
22. Read an article called "Pretexting - The New Identity Theft?" about pretexting, ID theft, and what it means.