You can stop pretexters before they get ahold of your private data

Identity theft has many facets, and the latest is called "telephone pretexting."

That occurs when someone calls you or a company you do business with and, on a pretext, tries to obtain your personal information.

Pretexting came into the spotlight during the scandal over Hewlett-Packard Co.'s attempts to stanch boardroom leaks. The company acknowledged hiring private investigators to acquire the phone records of company directors, journalists, and others.

Most people will never be involved in such high-level skullduggery, but everyone needs to be aware of the threat that pretexting poses to their finances and privacy.

Pretexters may sell your data to crooks who may use it to get credit in your name or steal from your bank account.

That's the classic identity theft scenario . But often there are more insidious motives behind pretexting.

The information is frequently used by data brokers, private investigators, loan collectors, or individuals involved in private disputes who are looking for specific information about a person.

Federal officials say they don't know how extensive pretexting is.

"We have no way of knowing," said Betsy Broder, an assistant director of the Federal Trade Commission's Division of Privacy and Identity Protection.

The FTC is working with the Federal Communications Commission to investigate and catch pretexters. Both agencies have pursued data brokers who've sold consumers' telephone records.

Federal law already makes it illegal to obtain financial records by pretexting. But no federal law explicitly makes pretexting for phone records unlawful.

You can take steps to protect your information from pretexters, though.

One piece of advice applies to any fraud-protection strategy: Be very wary of people who call you out of the blue, no matter who they say they are.

Don't give out information over the phone, through the mail, or over the Internet unless you've initiated the contact or know with whom you're dealing.

There's another prevention strategy, one that applies directly to pretexting. It involves creating an online account with your telephone company so you can access your billing and call records.

But experts say setting up your account online can actually prevent personal information from being stolen because it creates another barrier a potential pretexter must hurdle.

Verizon Communications Inc. requires its customer service representatives to check if a customer has established a password on the account before disclosing information, company spokesman Bill Kula said.

"Your password is the most important thing that you need to focus on," said Jimmy Duvall, spokesman for Verizon Wireless. "Make sure you have passwords on all your accounts. Don't use obvious passwords, and don't share your password with anyone."

The best password is a random string of numbers and letters. Write it down and keep it in a safe place.

Federal regulators are studying what phone companies are doing to protect customer information, what the weaknesses are, and what improvements are needed.

Officials of Verizon and AT&T Inc. have filed lawsuits against those who have obtained customer information under false pretenses. "We are actively pursuing pretexters in civil courts on potential criminal charges," said Walt Sharp, an AT&T spokesman.

The FTC and FCC want Congress to make pretexting for phone records a federal crime. So far, the FTC has had to pursue cases under its mandate to stamp out "unfair and deceptive practices" in commerce.

Several bills that would criminalize pretexting for call histories have been introduced in Congress, but none has come up for a full floor vote.

If you think your customer information has been disclosed without your permission, contact your telephone company right away. Also, file a complaint with the FCC at www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints.html, or call 1-888-225-5322 .

Pamela Yip is a columnist for The Dallas Morning News.