ATLANTA, July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Cingular Wireless today applauded the Federal Communications Commission for taking enforcement action against 1st Source Information Specialists, Inc., a company that owned and operated several websites advertising the sale of phone records, including locatecell.com.
"Today's action sends the right message to data burglars: you're not above the law," said Paul Roth, executive vice president - external affairs and public relations, Cingular Wireless. "The FCC, Congress, and other policymakers continue to shine a spotlight on these fraudsters - which bolsters Cingular's own efforts to fight cell phone record theft and protect customer privacy."
Last December, Cingular filed a civil lawsuit against 1st Source Information Specialists, Inc., alleging that the company acquired Cingular customer records through fraudulent means, such as by posing as legitimate customers seeking information about their own accounts. In January, Cingular obtained a restraining order against the data broker. Cingular's lawsuit remains underway in the U.S. District Court in Atlanta, GA., and the company has lawsuits pending against other data brokers as well.
Cingular uses a variety of safeguards to protect against unauthorized access to customer information, and the company continues to evaluate and enhance these measures. In addition, consumers who wish to better protect themselves should follow standard practices to prevent identity theft, such as adding a password to their account, guarding their password and other personal information, and shredding invoices and account information before discarding these documents.
About Cingular Wireless
Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United States, serving 55.8 million customers. Cingular, a joint venture between AT&T Inc. and BellSouth Corporation , has the largest digital voice and data network in the nation -- the ALLOVER(TM) network -- and the largest mobile-to-mobile community of any national wireless carrier. Cingular is a leader in third generation wireless technology. Its 3G network is the first widely available service in the world to use HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) technology. Cingular is the only U.S. wireless carrier to offer Rollover(R), the wireless plan that lets customers keep their unused monthly minutes. Details of the company are available at http://www.cingular.com/. Get Cingular Wireless press releases emailed to you automatically. Sign up at http://cingular.mediaroom.com/.
