Attorney General's News Release

October 5, 2006

Nixon obtains judgment against another Internet business that illegally obtained and sold cell phone records

Jefferson City, Mo. — Attorney General Jay Nixon recently obtained a permanent injunction against a Cedar Hills, Utah-based Web site and its operators, prohibiting the company from obtaining or selling the cell phone records of Missourians. The Cole County Circuit Court also ordered the operators of Completeskiptrace.com to pay $4,000 to the state. Nixon sued the operators of Completeskiptrace.com on Feb. 21, saying they violated Missouri consumer protection laws by offering for sale and selling consumers' private phone records.

Missouri has been a national leader in taking action against Web sites that illegally obtain and cell phone records. In February, Nixon became the first state Attorney General to obtain a court order imposing a statewide ban on an Internet business that sells cell phone records after his aggressive actions resulted in a preliminary injunction against Locatecell.com.

Nixon also has filed lawsuits against two other such Web sites, Datatraceusa.com and NAInfo.com to prevent them from doing business in Missouri. Datatraceusa.com is currently under a court order not to engage in the sale of cell phone records, while Nixon obtained an assurance of voluntary compliance with NAInfo.com to prohibit them from doing the same on June 15.

“This ruling further illustrates my office's commitment to protecting the privacy concerns of Missouri consumers from Internet businesses that sell private cell phone information without the owners' consent,” Nixon said. “We have gone to court four times to stop the dissemination of such information in our state, and remain ready to act against other businesses that provide such services.”

The permanent injunction signed today by Circuit Judge Thomas J. Brown III prohibits Completeskiptrace.com 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, possessing, 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 the purpose of obtaining Missouri consumers' personal and confidential phone records.

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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.

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