Cell Phone Records for Sale

tabdelgawad writes "The Washington Post has a good writeup on how 'data brokers' use various techniques to obtain cell phone records of individuals then offer them for sale to anyone who will pay. The data is obtained by either bribing phone company employees, or 'pretexting', or accessing unregistered customer accounts online. Although phone companies are the only source of this information (unlike, say SSNs which are available from many sources), one Cingular spokesman was quoted as saying that this is 'an infinitesimally small problem'."

Comments

Re:net 10

[Humorously_Inept]

Is it totally anonymous? If so, how long before this sort of service is outlawed? Disposable mobile phones that aren't attached to anyone's personal information sound like they'd be superb for terrorists. I hate acting like the alarmist, hypersensitive newsmedia, but it's true. A communications device which cannot be traced back to a person and can also be used as a very handy little detonator...

Re:net 10

[Khyber]

Let me give you a hypothetical situation...

You piss me off due to your ignorance towards my religion. Thanks to your company, I can possibly find out where you live. Next, all I have to do is wait until you're unaware and then... *BOOM* You no longfer exist.

You are truly ignorant if you think you're specifically immune to any terrorist attack. For all you know, you live in an area where Terrorism is a prime target, a place where nothing major happens.. then *BAM!* your ass is bombed off the block/earth with a few of your friends/neighbors, just for being ignorant and small-time. Terrorists are *NOT* beyond hitting smaller targets to spread their point/word/heaven;y message. In fact, Terrorists have bombed some of the smallest amounts of people in history and still had the same national effect. Think, if the WTC bombings happened in say.. bumfuck KLANSAS instead of New York, I can almsot guarantee the result would be the same, once the terrorists were identified.

If you believe you are truly safe, think about it like this. Compared to many major cities, just how well are you protected? You think a redneck attitude is going to keep you safe from people who have no clue what it means to be a redneck? (And I am a redneck, farmer's tan and all) You're sorely mistaken and next in line for a Darwin Award for not thinking rationally and weighing your chances.

Start thinking more rationally before you unwittingly end up next on their list. I've already been made aware of threats against me for wanting to send them back to the stone age with EMP bombs, and all of that thru my "protected friends-only" LJ posts. You are not safe. Regardless. Bombs can hit anywhere, at anytime. And while I'm not the paranoid type, I've learned, it's better to be safe than sorry. This is why I'm sleeping with a few little yard traps and a gun and lots of knives under my pillow and futon. Easy reach, easy defense.

But if you wish to remain ignorant.......

This is not a troll post, just a post from a citizen who's been made aware of potential threats against his life from our barely-functioning government. Take it as you will.