---

Released: June 13, 2011

Help Desk FAQ

Are my phone records private?

Telling lies or pretending to be the account holder in order to get another person’s call records and telephone account information is called “pretexting.” It’s a crime under federal law and in virtually every state, as is giving or selling someone’s confidential phone records. A convicted pretexter could be fined or sent to prison.

The reason there are laws against pretexting and stiff penalties for accessing someone else’s phone records is because, between the account information (everything from billing address to automatic bill payment information) and the call history (phone numbers of incoming and outgoing calls), there is enough data to make it possible for someone to steal from or hurt the phone customer or his or her family. Scam artists, identity thieves, estranged spouses, stalkers, debt collectors, private investigators and others who want to track you down use phone records.

Telephone carriers are required to take measures to protect account data and to verify identity before releasing information. Learn more about pretexting, how to protect yourself, and how to file a complaint in Consumer Action’s publication Protect Your Phone Records.