AT&T Aided Cell Phone Thieves, Suit Claims - East Idaho News
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AT&T Aided Cell Phone Thieves, Suit Claims

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Getty 041312 ATT?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1334337189856David McNew/Getty Images(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — Wireless carrier AT&T is the target of a class-action suit that claims the company profited  from cell phone theft by aiding and abetting thieves.

The suit filed in California Superior Court by three plaintiffs alleges the wireless carrier assisted thieves “in earning illegal profits, by turning on, or ‘re-activating’ said stolen phones.”

The plaintiffs claimed in court documents that AT&T representatives said they were unable to block usage of stolen phones, and in turn made millions of dollars from the activity.

“Defendants actively have, for years, participated in this practice in order to make millions of dollars in improper profits by forcing legitimate customers…to buy new cell phones and buy new cell phone plans,” the documents stated.

AT&T was unable to be reached for comment.

The company announced this week it would join forces with other wireless carriers to block stolen cell phones and work with the FCC to create a database of smart phones and tablets that are reported lost or stolen.

Verizon and Sprint previously blocked stolen phones. AT&T and T-Mobile joined this week after the FCC and law enforcement pushed for a national database of stolen devices to be created. The new database will render the stolen devices worthless.

A decade ago, cellular devices accounted for 8 percent of thefts in large cities. They now account for more than 40 percent of thefts, according to the FCC.

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