Published: September 19, 2006 11:54 am      

Keyser investigative firm settles with state

MPIS Inc. to pay fine, stop selling cell phone records

KEYSER - Attorney General Darrell McGraw announced that his office reached a settlement with MPIS Inc., doing business as Magnum P.I. Services, and its owner/operator Jody Leatherman.

The Keyser business is required to pay a $2,000 fine and to cease the sale of otherwise private cell phone records.

MPIS also must renew its private investigator's license, which expired in 2003.

Along with several other Internet Web sites, MPIS became the subject of House Commerce Committee and Federal Communications Commission investigations regarding the sale of personal cell phone data over the Internet.

MPIS Inc. maintains or maintained several Web sites, including: www.publicpeoplefinder.com, www.nationwidesearch.com, www.locatepeople.com, www.personsearch.us, www.telephonesearches.com, www.locatepeople.net, www.easytolocate.com, www.lostpeople.com and www.peoplesearchers.com.

The company offered to sell a log documenting consumers' cell phone records, including the numbers dialed and when the calls were made.

MPIS sold the log for $189.99 to third parties without the knowledge or consent of those consumers whose records were sold. The company purchased the information from Steven Schwartz of 1st Source Information Specialists Inc.

1st Source Information Specialists would obtain this information from cell phone providers by falsely representing itself as a consumer or an agent of the telecommunications carrier. This process is known as "pretexting."

1st Source has been sued by attorneys general in other states such as Illinois, Texas and Missouri.

MPIS also offered a second product, the Reverse Telephone Search, in which it would provide the name and address associated with any phone number (including cell phone numbers) to a third party for $49.99.

One of the unsuspecting parties was a sheriff's department in Arizona. Someone gave MPIS a cell phone number and $49.99, and they got back the department's name and address.

"The sale of this personal and sensitive data is a serious invasion of privacy and is downright dangerous when the information is stolen from victims of domestic violence and stalking," McGraw said.

"We're doing our part in West Virginia to ensure the Internet sale of this data is halted."

This is the second incident the attorney general has had with MPIS Inc. in recent years. The company previously failed to provide legitimate services paid for by consumers.

To file a consumer complaint, call (800) 368-8808 or (304) 558-8986.