Prevention of Fraudulent Access to Phone Records Act

This bill aims to protect the privacy of personal telephone records by making it a federal crime to obtain or sell a customer’s calling data through fraudulent means. It specifically targets "pretexting," a practice where individuals impersonate a customer or use forged documents to trick telecommunications providers into releasing private call logs.

For everyday citizens, this legislation would require phone companies to implement stricter security standards to safeguard both landline and cellular records. Additionally, the bill prohibits service providers from sharing or selling a customer’s detailed calling history without their express prior consent. Enforcement of these protections would be handled by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), with penalties established for those who illegally solicit or distribute private phone data.