[They have now stopped it thanks to the Cape Argus newspaper. Jan]

It’s not just Big Brother who has your number. Until the Cape Argus stepped in, Telkom’s automated account inquiries help line gave everyone access to everybody else’s account balance – and their payment history, good or bad.

Until Wednesday, calling the 10210 account inquiries line gave you more than just a link to your own account.

No special pin code or password was required to access the account of your neighbour, your boss or a potential business associate.

But after an investigation by the Cape Argus, Telkom reacted swiftly and has barred open access to people’s account details.

Telkom reacted swiftly and has barred open access
On Tuesday, after we told an astonished Xolisa Vapi, Telkom’s media spokesperson, just how much he owed his boss, he vowed that everything necessary would be done to sort out the “unfortunate” problem.

And on Wednesday it was no longer possible to access other people’s phone bills.

Whether you’re just inquisitive or you want to get an idea of some one’s financial responsibility, a phone bill is a good start – and Telkom’s talking computer was not standing in your way.

In a test run randomly checking the account balances of political leaders, their party headquarters, big companies and those of corporate bosses, the Cape Argus established that Telkom was indeed an open book, and there was a feeling it was taking transparency a little too far.

High Court Justice Siraj Desai, it emerged, is due to pay R870,56 on May 16, according to the automated account information service.

‘It is however a definite invasion of privacy’
His last bill was for R600, paid on April 16.

The judge was not too perturbed when he was told that his account had been accessed by a reporter, saying he was up to date with his payments, but he did warn that Telkom should remedy the matter urgently to avoid problems.

Telkom’s Vapi at first strongly denied the breach of confidentiality.

But after he offered his own home phone number and he was told exactly what he owed his employer, the embarrassed spokesperson admitted Telkom “clearly had a problem”.

His balance was R1 217,87, but Vapi said it was “a credit”.

He said phone users in Gauteng could not access an account via 10210 without having to produce an ID number as well, which suggested the problem was limited to certain areas.

Meanwhile, to prove the point, the Cape Argus checked the ANC’s account balance at its Athlone head office and found there was just R328 outstanding after it paid Telkom R18 000 last month, while the party’s regional office in Woodstock generally paid about R8 000 a month.

The New National Party’s office-bearers seemed a lot more frugal, with the phone bill of its Parow office averaging around R400 a month.

The DA pays Telkom around R8 000 a month.

Legal expert Mtshutshisa Funeka of Nongogo and Nuku Attorneys said that on the face of it Telkom was not at fault.

“It is however a definite invasion of privacy, but the actual culprit here is the person who prompts the automated information system to supply information to which he or she is not legally entitled,” he said.

For the record, Independent Newspapers Cape, owners of the Cape Argus, owed R84 543,60, which is payable on May 31.

This article was originally published on page 1 of Cape Argus on May 11, 2005

Source: Independent Online (IOL)
URL: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click…/p>