CELL PHONE RECORDS

I heard something on National Public Radio about cell phone records and how easy it was to get them. I thought that it can’t be that easy or legal. I WAS WRONG!!!

I called T-mobile and asked them about privacy and my cell phone records. They read me the statement and I did find it on there website. The FCC and FTC (Federal Trade Commission) both concur that the actual record of phone calls is public information. Only your personal information like SS# and address are private. WOW!!!

I had to try this out. I went to Google and typed in “cell phone record” (with the parentheses) and I got thousands of related sites; But NPR is correct that there are only about 40 different sites that will sell cell phone records. I decided to try getting the records of someone that I don’t know there SS#, birthdates, or address. I tried one of my cousins in Kansas City. It only cost me $100 and their cell phone number (not even there name) and I received the last 180 days of their cell phone records. WOW!!! The site even sells, for additional cash, the records updated to show the names/address of all the calls instead of just the telephone numbers. WOW!!!

You want to check up on who your wife/husband is actually having lunch with? Want to find out who your kids are talking too? You want proof that your employee is going to the bar too much or is talking with a competitor? You think your friend is going to a Psychiatrist? You want proof that your boss is having an affair and you want a raise? It only costs $100 and few minutes online. What is astonishing to me is that it breaks no Federal or State laws. I was talking to a lawyer friend of mine and he told me that it is all true. I guess that police agencies use this about 50,000 times EVERY DAY!!

If you know someone with a cell phone please tell them or forward this message. Maybe if enough people say something, someday the government might do something about this. OH, AND FOR ALL YOU WORKING FOLKS, DON’T PUT YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER ON YOUR RESUME!!!! by Kevin Rothe, Greeley CO

Charities

Since Hurican Katrina, Americans need to be more vigilant about what charities we give our money. It is sad that in our society there are those who would steal from those willing to give to the poor and also steal from those who need it the most. However, this does not mean we should stop giving altogether. There are ways to protect yourself and the dollars you give. There are two web sites that are well recommended for this. I am listing them here so that people have one more resource when giving. It should be as easy to give as possible.

The first site you can search for charities that have/have not completed their questionnaires and given legal documents to back it up. They tend to give a thumbs up or down.

http://www.charitywatch.org/

The second site gives a more in-depth look at each charity. It will ask if you want to me a registered member (free) but you do not need to do so for a synopsis of the information they have. Just enter the name in the “search” box and it will give a breakdown of expenses, revenue, administration costs, etc. It will also rate the charity 1-5 stars. This is probably the best site. Note: it will also break down charities to locals if it applies. An example is Habitat for Humanity. It breaks them down to 37 different in-depth regional analyses.

http://www.charitynavigator.org/