A Pretextual Post
"Pretexting" is the use of using false information or misrepresentations to gain access to another person's confidential phone or financial records. The word was barely in the public consciousness until a few weeks ago, until it was alleged that Heweltt-Packard used pretexting to obtain access to the personal phone records of its directors in an attempt to learn the source of a leak. Yesterday. the FTC announced that it had reached a settlement with an Internet firm that was using pretexting to obtain access to consumers' telephone and credit card records. Under the settlement, the malefactor has to disgorge its ill-gotten gains--all $2,700 of them.
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