T-Mobile involved in data selling probe

[The Straight Story]

T-Mobile involved in data selling probe


LONDON, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- British telecommunications regulators said personal data from millions of mobile phone subscribers had been misappropriated, an official report said.

The Information Commissioner's Office filed a formal report with the Ministry of Justice that included support for prison sentences for those who break the public trust by selling personnel information, The Times of London Online reported Tuesday.

T-Mobile, Britain's fourth largest phone carrier, said it was a target in the investigation that primarily involved selling information on phone service contracts to third parties, so competitors could make cold calls to customers just before their current contracts expired.

The ICO said, "the number of records involved runs into the millions and it appears that substantial amounts of money changed hands."

Some industry sources said a rogue T-Mobile employee was the cause of the scandal and that the number of violations was in the thousands, not millions. T-Mobile, with 16.6 million customers, suggested it was an industrywide problem.

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2009/11/17/T-Mobile-involved-in-data-selling-probe/UPI-34501258484536/

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. that peshy "rogue employee" sure gets around, didja ever notice?

Every company caught with its hands in the till has one.