No body, in any recent article on this topic that I've yet read, EVER mentions that this IS explicitly illegal activity (not just in California) as shown here:

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/pretext.htm

Where are the alleged experts coming from, that the media outlets keep quoting? There is no legal grey area - only "experts" that seem to be quite poorly informed of the law.

Jimmie Mesis is a moron if he thinks that he and his ilk should have free access to information that people consider to be THEIR OWN PRIVATE information. And if he uses pretexting in his own private investigations, then he should also receive a call from the district attorney. To Jimmie's idiot assertion, quoted in this article, that keeping people's data private only helps criminals - we can also provide examples where NOT wearing a seatbelt in a vehicle collision may have saved someones life, but we know that this is simply not true in general. Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is lying to you. Perhaps that person is so accustomed to 'pretexting' that they can no longer tell the difference between that and 'lying' - oh wait, there is no difference. For someone to try and spin this topic to their own personal advantage like that is absolutely pathetic.

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Link to this comment: http://www.securityfocus.com/comments/articles/11412/34074#34074