If you thought your cellphone number was safe, think again. Intellus just launched the first ever online cellphone directory. Oh, you never gave them permission, they went ahead and scraped the internet, bought lists from data resellers and deployed data mining techniques.
“Stop it. This is a violation of Americans’ privacy. People expect their cell phone numbers to remain private,” said Steve Zipperstein, vice president and general counsel of Verizon Wireless in a press release. Verizon said it would take whatever steps necessary to stop this new service.
But we may not have to worry too much, the quality of their data is questionable. RCR Wireless News tested out the service and asked for the cellphone numbers of Barack Obama and the president of Verizon Wireless. The service provide seventeen numbers but none were right, and in Obama’s case, one of them was for the Cook County jail.
Consumers interested in getting off the list can fax Intelius a removal request letter along with a proof of identity, such as a driver’s license, to 425-974-6194.
Intelius Cell Phone Directory [Official Site]
More From Consumerist
-
6 Food Items That May Be Padded With Ingredients Not On The Label
-
Not Even Verizon Knows Exactly Why It Charges $5/Month To Keep Your Number Unpublished
-
Starbucks Thinks You Want An Entire Store Of Tazo Tea
-
Theater Sells Carrots For Performances Instead Of Tickets To Avoid Higher Taxes
-
When Stuff For Sale At A Big-Box Retailer Isn’t For Sale
I just want to let everyone here know that is all excited its listed by the wrong city. That city isn’t where your home address is, they will provide that if you pay 15$, that address is what town your cell phone company has their facilities in your area. Hence, why 5-10 years ago as cell phones were less prevalent people got non-local numbers sometimes just because the company didn’t have as many locales.
So how do you deal with a rogue telcom that sells your contact information. For instance, AT&T has resold my information repeatedly over the past 5 years I’ve been with them. The main reason why I know is that there’s a subtle change in my contact information. Kicker of this is that I’ve ordered them in clear terms NOT to list me in their phone books.
Each company I do business with I make a subtle change to my information to see if it does make it out into the wild. So far, 3 companies have done so and caught hell for doing it. They ask me how I found them out, I smile and say “If I’m going to tell you my secret, I’ve got this fantastic bridge to offer you. It’s in Brooklyn though.”
I just want to add that if this scares you, this is only the watered down version they are bundling to consumers. The actual skip tracing stuff that financial institutions and to a lesser extant, collection agencies, use are MUCH more detailed. They know your name, your mothers maiden name, your neighbors name and phone numbers, etc. It is very scary, but there is also very little that can be done about it. People ask “how is it legal”, well it’s legal because it’s not against the law yet to compile this info from non-private sources. Unbelievably, most of this data comes from MLM and spam lists. That one time you applied for a credit card, the one time you signed up for a store saver card, the time you put your cell phone on a credit app or some other referral list, it all ends up somewhere and is aggregated. It’s completely legal. Everyone needs to read the docs they sign when they give personal info…most say you agree to share with affiliates and “third parties we may do business with”.
Unsolicited phone calls to wireless phones are against FCC regulations. I always get into fights with telemarketers who call and ask if I want to be put on their do-not-call list while I’m trying to explain to them that it is against the law for them to be calling me.
@redstorm986: “So how do you deal with a rogue telcom that sells your contact information.”
Make your information worthless?
@Adam Rock: super creepy yes but zaba’s worse. that zaba thing has stuff going all the way back to my 1st apartment address w/my 1st husband.
not paying to see how accurate Intelius is although not happy to see correct city/state/carrier.
be nice to find a reasonably priced hacker type to remove such things from public records/searches etc.
@UnStatusTheQuo: would be nice
@Nighthawke: have you been able to get those 3 to cease &/or be punished?
RE:Zaba.. You can opt-out of that also. You just have to mail them a letter.
Also you can have Zaba notify you anytime someone search for you, even if your info has been deleted. Which I have.
Ironically, I work for people I knew 20 years ago, that I found thru ZabaSearch.
Sadly, my opt-out experience comes from being a dead-beat.
ack!! this is scary.
I used this service to research one small phone number. Two weeks later a company I had never heard of debited my account for $20.00. Upon calling that company and asking what the heck was going on I was informed that by using the “Intelius” service I was automatically signed up for their services and my banking information was provided to them via Intelius. CAN WE SAY FRAUD???????????????????? Stay away from Intelius