FTC: Private-sector Use of Social Security Numbers

The Division of Privacy and Identity Protection of the Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection has issued a summary of information it has obtained in preparation for an upcoming FTC workshop on private-sector use of Social Security numbers (SSNs).

The President’s Identity Theft Task Force, comprising 17 federal agencies and co-chaired by the Attorney General and FTC Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras, was formed in May 2006 to develop a comprehensive national strategy to combat identity theft. Read more

Identity Theft Survey Reveals over 8 million victims in 2005

The Federal Trade Commission released the findings of a survey showing that 8.3 million American adults were victims of identity theft in 2005. Read more

The Truth About Cell Phones And The Do Not Call Registry

The Federal Trade Commission today reiterated that despite the claims made in e-mails circulating on the Internet, consumers should not be concerned that their cell phone numbers will be released to telemarketers in the near future, and that it is not necessary to register cell phone numbers on the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry to be protected from most telemarketing calls to cell phones. Read more

Public Social Security Numbers?

MASSPIRG's Eric Bourassa has called on Secretary of State William Galvin, who has been an investor champion, to become a privacy champion, too. So far, Galvin has resisted MASSPIRG's calls to remove Social Security Numbers, the basic operating toolkit of identity thieves, from public records and filings on his website. Here's today's AP story Mass. needs law banning private data on state Web sites, some say and here is one from yesterday: Privacy advocates blast Galvin. As privacy expert Robert Ellis Smith points out in today's story, states, including Vermont, have begun passing laws to redact or remove SSNs from older records, and prohibit their disclosure on newer records:

The Truth about Cell Phones and the Do Not Call Registry

Despite Re-Circulating E-mail, It is Still Not Necessary to Register Cell Phone Numbers

As the number of phone numbers on the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry surpassed 139 million, the Federal Trade Commission today reiterated that despite the claims made in e-mails circulating on the Internet, consumers should not be concerned that their cell phone numbers will be released to telemarketers at any time in the near future. In addition, according to the agency, it is not necessary to register cell phone numbers on the DNC Registry to be protected from most telemarketing calls to cell phones. Read more

Telemarketer Agrees to Stop Improper Use of Prerecorded Messages

Defendants Agree to Pay $1 Million Civil Penalty for TSR Violations and to Permanent Bar on Violating the FTC’s Do Not Call and Abandoned Call Rules

The Federal Trade Commission today announced that a “voice broadcaster” charged with making tens of millions of illegal automated telemarketing calls has agreed to pay a $1 million civil penalty under a settlement reached with the agency and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

A federal district court action brought by DOJ on behalf of the Commission alleges that the Florida-based telemarketer’s automated phone dialing service called and then illegally hung up on more than 64 million people – and called more than a million numbers that were listed on the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry. To settle this action, the telemarketer and its owners have agreed to a proposed court order that will prohibit them from making similar calls in the future and require them to pay the $1 million penalty.

According to the Commission, The Broadcast Team (TBT) and its two principals, Robert J. Tuttle and Mark S. Edwards, violated the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) in the course of using “voice broadcasting” to call millions of U.S. consumers using automated dialers and prerecorded messages. Many of the numbers TBT called were on the DNC Registry, making the calls themselves unlawful. The FTC also charged that TBT failed to pay for access to the DNC Registry’s numbers in numerous instances. Read more

FTC Permanently Halts Unlawful Spyware Operations

Defendants involved with operations that secretly downloaded spyware that changed settings on consumers’ computers, have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that their practices violated federal law. The settlements bar secret software downloads in the future, bar the operators from exploiting security vulnerabilities to download software, and bar misrepresentations. In addition, the operators will give up a total of $50,000 in ill-gotten gains. Read more

Guidance Software Inc. Settles FTC Charges

Company Failed to Use Reasonable Security Measures to Protect Consumers’ Data

Guidance Software Inc. has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that its failure to take reasonable security measures to protect sensitive customer data contradicted security promises made on its Web site and violated federal law. According to the FTC, Guidance’s data-security failure allowed hackers to access sensitive credit card information for thousands of consumers. The settlement will require the company to implement a comprehensive information-security program and obtain audits by an independent third-party security professional every other year for 10 years. Read more

Court Shuts Down Media Motor Spyware Operation

Trojan Program Downloaded Spyware, Adware, Porno Pop-Ups to Consumers’ Computers

A U.S. district court has shut down an operation that secretly downloaded multiple malevolent software programs, including spyware, onto millions of computers without consumers’ consent, degrading their computers’ performance, spying on them, and exposing them to a barrage of disruptive advertisements. The Federal Trade Commission has asked the court to order a permanent halt to these deceptive and unfair downloads, and to order the outfit to give up its ill-gotten gains.

The FTC charged ERG Ventures, LLC and one of its affiliates with tricking consumers into downloading malevolent software by hiding the Media Motor program within seemingly innocuous free software, including screensavers and video files. Once downloaded, the Media Motor program silently activates itself and downloads “malware” – software that is intrusive, disruptive, and makes it difficult for consumers to use their computers. Among other effects, the malware installed by the Media Motor program: Read more

Marketer Settles With FTC for Sending Unwanted E-Mails

A company that sent unsolicited commercial e-mail after consumers asked it to stop has agreed to pay a $50,717 civil penalty to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it violated federal law.

The FTC charged Yesmail Inc., doing business as @Once Corporation, with sending e-mail on behalf of its clients more than 10 business days after recipients had asked it to stop. According to the FTC’s complaint, Yesmail offers e-mail marketing services, including sending commercial e-mail and processing unsubscribe requests from recipients. The FTC’s complaint alleges that Yesmail’s spam filtering software filtered out certain “reply to” unsubscribe requests from recipients as “spam,” which resulted in Yesmail failing to honor unsubscribe requests by sending thousands of commercial e-mail messages to recipients more than 10 business days after their requests. Read more

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