Sprint to join other companies in fighting sale of phone records

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Sprint Nextel Corp. said it is joining competitors Cingular Wireless and Verizon Wireless in investigating companies that sell the phone records of their customers.

Sprint said Tuesday that some of its own customer information had been accessed in "limited circumstances" but wouldn't provide details about when or how.

"It is fraudulent activity being carried out by these companies and it is not legal," said David Gunasegaram, a spokesman for Sprint Nextel, which is based in Reston, Va., and has operational headquarters in Overland Park., Kan. "We have launched a full-scale investigation engaging corporate security and our legal team. We are looking at taking legal action."

Cingular and Verizon also have requested court orders against data brokers accused of obtaining the information through fraud.

The Federal Communications Commission's enforcement bureau is looking into companies that obtain a customer's telephone records without the customer's approval or knowledge.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center has identified more than 40 Web sites selling phone records or other personal information

"These records can include some of the most private personal information about an individual," Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein said in a written statement. "Finding out who people are calling and for how long can be like picking someone's brain about their friends, plans or business dealings."

Adelstein said that besides investigating the data brokering companies, he would like to see better security practices by the phone companies to protect customer records.

"I support swift action against carriers that have not complied with our existing rules and procedures," he said.

Verizon began seeking court orders against data brokers in the fall, while Cingular got a federal judge last week to prohibit Data Find Solutions Inc. and 1st Source Information Specialists Inc. from obtaining and selling Cingular customers' information.

Cingular said it believes those companies are behind Web sites that advertise the sale of phone records. Among the services offered include providing the name and address of a cell phone number for $65 and a list of calls made from that number for $110.

The wireless company claims the Web sites get customer information through fraud, such as posing as a customer and asking for information about an account.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center has identified more than 40 Web sites selling phone records or other personal information. The Washington-based research group has asked for the FCC and the Federal Trade Commission to weigh in on the issue.