Mobile Phone Reviews
 
 
Personal Mobile Phone Data Sold By T-Mobile Staff

Wed, 18 Nov 2009

Personal details of thousands of mobile phone customers were leaked to rival firms in the biggest data breach of its kind, it has been revealed.

Mobile operator T-Mobile confirmed today that some of its employees had illegally sold data from thousands of customers, including mobile contract expiry dates, to other phone companies without its knowledge.

T-Mobile alerted the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) after if discovered that the data was being to cold-call T-Mobile customers whose contracts were due to expire.

The ICO used search warrants to enter premises and interview employees about the allegations. It found that that "substantial amounts of money" had changed hands and said a prosecution case is being prepared.

Information Commissioner Christopher Graham said: "We are considering the evidence with a view to prosecuting those responsible and I am keen to go much further and close down the entire unlawful industry in personal data."

In a statement on its website, T-Mobile said: "While it is deeply regrettable that customer information has been misappropriated in this way, we have proactively supported the ICO to help stamp out what is a problem for the whole industry."

But the mobile phone giant said it was "surprised" that its name had been publicly reported because it had been previously asked to keep all information about the case "strictly confidential to avoid prejudice to the investigation and prosecution".
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