Action Research Group Convicted of Pretexting
In some cases, giving out personal information over the phone is unavoidable, especially when it comes to company calls. People calling regarding bills, reservations, orders, and technical solutions need to give out specific information. But sensitive information like names, telephone numbers, and addresses are supposed to remain confidential and no form of diffusion to third parties should transpire.
But such dissemination of personal information has happened, rather massively; Action Research Group had been selling consumers’ phone records, including the time, duration, and dates of the calls their customers made to other parties since 2005. For this, the Federal Trade Commission ordered Action Research Group to hand over the earnings they made through pretexting, which amounted to $600,000.
The case is severely damaging in more ways than one; consumer services over the phone and the Internet are greatly affected by pretexting. Consumers are now wary to give out personal information to companies that do not in any way practice pretexting. Pretexting cases hinder corporate and economic growth for companies that require their clients’ personal information.
Even with the law that bans pretexting, it still exists today. What makes it a prevalent mode of obtaining information is the potential profits it promises criminals and its relative simplicity to accomplish.
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