SAN ANTONIO, Nov. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T Services Inc. today amended a lawsuit in federal court to identify seven suspected pretexters accused of accessing customer information without authorization from the company or the customer.

The lawsuit was originally filed on Aug. 23, 2006, naming defendants only as John Does because of the lack of information about their actual identity. The lawsuit also sought expedited authority from the court to identify the defendants by subpoenaing the Internet Service Providers associated with the Internet Protocol addresses the John Does used when they accessed AT&T's records. Today's amended complaint names defendants who have been identified through that ongoing process.

Named as defendants in the amended complaint are: Kym McDaniel of Ellijay, Ga.; Receivables Specialist Inc. of Tamarac, Fla.; A-AAA Mortgage Loans & Investments Inc. of St. Petersburg, Fla.; Katherine Martens of Lutz, Fla.; SRG Inc. of Richardson, Texas; DWC Research Inc. of Tampa, Fla.; and Autostar USA Inc. of Corpus Christi, Texas.

The suit targets persons or entities who used fraudulent means to gain access to AT&T's business records containing confidential customer information, including calling-record information.

According to the amended suit, "AT&T brings this action to stop the defendants from intentionally, fraudulently, and illegally obtaining AT&T's business records containing confidential customer information through the unlawful access of its computers and data storage facilities, and to recover damages suffered as a result of such unlawful access."

The complaint contends that the "defendants' actions invade the privacy, and potentially the economic and physical well-being, of AT&T's customers; erode the reputation of AT&T and its relationship with its customers; and cause economic damage to AT&T."

Each of the defendants is alleged to have accessed AT&T records "through deceit, trickery, and dishonesty."

The company also filed a motion to prohibit the defendants from continuing to access confidential information or to make use of any information they have accessed and to preserve any relevant evidence.

The San Antonio lawsuit -- and a similar one filed in San Francisco -- are related to an AT&T internal investigation that identified about 2,500 customers as possible pretexting victims. The affected customers have previously been notified. The process of identifying the defendants in the San Francisco case is continuing.

In a process known as pretexting, data brokers, investigators, finance companies and others pose as the customer to gain confidential information. The perpetrators set up unauthorized online accounts by supplying private customer-identifying information. The online account provides access to the customer's AT&T account information -- including recent calling history. The online account does not contain the customer's Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers or similarly sensitive financial, credit or identity information.

AT&T has taken steps to enhance the security of calling records and continually reviews its processes to thwart unauthorized activity.

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About AT&T

AT&T Inc. is one of the world's largest telecommunications holding companies and is the largest in the United States. Operating globally under the AT&T brand, AT&T companies are recognized as the leading worldwide providers of IP-based communications services to business and as leading U.S. providers of high speed DSL Internet, local and long distance voice, and directory publishing and advertising services. AT&T Inc. holds a 60 percent ownership interest in Cingular Wireless, which is the No. 1 U.S. wireless services provider with 58.7 million wireless customers. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and AT&T products and services is available at http://www.att.com/ .

Subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. provide products and services under the AT&T brand.

CONTACT: Walt Sharp of AT&T Inc., Office, +1-210-351-3349,
walt.sharp@att.com

Web site: http://www.att.com/
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