Attorney General's News Release

February 23, 2006

Court orders Web business to stop obtaining, selling cell phone records of Missourians

Jefferson City, Mo. — A judge in Cole County today prohibited a Web site and its operators from obtaining or selling the cell phone records of Missourians. Attorney General Jay Nixon sued the operators of Completeskiptrace.com on Feb. 21, saying they were violating Missouri consumer protection laws by misrepresenting that is legal for them to obtain, possess and sell the information.

Completeskiptrace.com is the second such Web site Nixon has targeted. Last week, Missouri became the first state to obtain a court order preventing an Internet business that sells cell phone records from conducting business in its state. Nixon's aggressive actions resulted in a preliminary injunction against Locatecell.com.

"A person's cell phone records shouldn't be available to anyone with a credit card," Nixon said. "We'll continue to go after these Web sites because of our concerns about consumer privacy and about the legality of how these confidential records are obtained."

An investigator from Nixon's office went online to Completeskiptrace.com last week and was able to purchase the account number of his own private cell phone. Nixon said the defendants do not have authorization from the wireless and cellular telephone service providers to access the customer information that they advertise on their Web site.

The consent preliminary injunction signed today by Circuit Judge Thomas J. Brown III prohibits Get A Grip Consulting Inc. and owner Rob Schroader from:

• Attempting to obtain or obtaining any personal and confidential information from any cellular or land line telephone service provider regarding any of that provider's customers who reside in, or originated accounts from, the state of Missouri;

• Attempting to obtain or obtaining any personal and confidential information from any third party regarding any subscriber to cellular or land line telephone service who resides in, or has originated accounts from, the state of Missouri;

• Operating the Web site Completeskiptrace.com or any other Web site as a means to offer for sale or sell any Missouri customer information of any cellular or land line telephone service provider currently in their possession to any third parties;

• Taking, processing, or in any way acting upon an order or request for personal and confidential information relating to any cellular or land line telephone subscriber in any state where the request is made by a resident of the State of Missouri, other than to determine that said order or request will not be filled; and

• Using the name or identity of any employee of any cellular or land line telephone service provider for any purpose.

Nixon also is asking the court to issue a permanent injunction that would require the defendants to pay appropriate penalties.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818