Complain about a product or service

Sprint Sues Cell Phone Record Brokers

February 1, 2006

Calling Records • FTC Shuts Down Pretexting Operation • Phone Pretexters Get Off Cheap • Verizon Wireless Changes Customer Data Policy • FCC Strengthens Rules For Phone Privacy • House Tries Once More to Pass Pretexting Bill • Pretexting Bill: Pretense or Reality? • Hewlett-Packard Pays $14.5 Million to Settle Pretexting Suit • HP Scandal Ignites New Pretexting Battle In Congress • AT&T Sues Calling Record Brokers • Sprint Nextel Settles Case with Florida Data Broker • Feds Sue Calling Record Vendors • Illinois Lawsuit Charges Data Brokerages • Florida Judgment to End Data Broker's Business • Florida Investigates Fake Caller IDs • California Sues Data Trace USA for $10 Million • Missouri Sues Datatraceusa.com • Florida Sues Data Broker Over Sale of Phone Records • Texas Sues Companies Selling Telephone Calling Records • Websites Hawking Phone Records Shut Down • FTC Vows to Stop Illicit Sale of Cell Phone Calling Records • FTC Pledges "Vigorous" Pursuit of Cell Phone Record Sales • AT&T Accused of Eavesdropping, Calling Record Sales • Sprint Sues Cell Phone Record Brokers • Missouri Shuts Down Locatecell.com • Texas Probes Cell Phone Calling Record Sales, Missouri Files Suit • Illinois Sues Company Selling Cell Phone Calling Records • Outcry Over Sale of Cell Phone Calling Records

Sprint Nextel has filed a second lawsuit against a company it says is fraudulently acquiring and selling telephone records. The suit, against All Star Investigations, says the company is violating the privacy of thousands of Spring Nextel customers.

Sprint is seeking both temporary and permanent injunctions against All Star Investigations, the operator of www.locatecell.com, www.celltolls.com, www.datafind.org and www.peoplesearchamerica.com.

"The schemes perpetrated by these online data brokers are intolerable and our intent is to put an end to these practices," Kent Nakamura, Sprint Nextel's chief privacy officer, said in a statement.

The company charges data brokers use flagrant misrepresentation and deceitful practices to obtain the records. In some cases, they charge, the companies actually steal the information.

Several data brokers advertise on the Internet that they can obtain any cell phone records for a $100 fee. Authorities have expressed alarm, saying the information in the hands of criminals and abusive spouses can expose cell phone users to danger, and even death.

T-Mobile USA, Verizon Wireless and the state of Missouri have also filed suits against the online data broker.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.