iPhone 4 pre-order mess takes a sinister turn with privacy breach
By Vlad Savov 
posted June 16th 2010 3:17AM
posted June 16th 2010 3:17AM
In amongst the otherwise fun stampede that befell Apple and AT&T's servers yesterday, some less humorous problems were also taking place. Numerous tipsters reported to Gizmodo during the day that they were being logged into other people's AT&T accounts while going in to try and sign up for an iPhone 4 upgrade. An insider source suggests that this was caused by a major fraud prevention overhaul of AT&T's software last weekend, which was followed by "absolutely no testing" prior to the iPhone 4's launch. Tsk tsk. The network itself has responded by saying it's unable to replicate the issue and is looking into it. While it's doing that, a bunch of people might be "looking into" your AT&T account details. Sleep tight now.
If Apple needed some sort of an excuse to break exclusivity with AT&T, they just got two of them this week...
Right. This is a giant corporation.
How on earth can they justify having this happen?
Lol at all the AT&T haters...if anything this just proves how good it is for AT&T to maintain its exclusive rights to the iPhone
@BrookLynnsFinest
Wow you're a dumbass. Do you work for AT&T? That would explain a lot.
@Shooter McGavin
Nope....I'm just not a fan of the rabid lynch mob that is engadget...
AT&T's systems were under enormous pressure. Its not AT&T did that on purpose. And its not like the iPhone pre order is a daily occurrence.
AT&T and Apple have a solid relationship. Part of the allure of the iPhone is in its exclusivity. Apple Haters like mark know this which is why they want Apple to whore themselves out to verizon and sprint.
@BrookLynnsFinest
Did you read what you wrote? If they did it on purpose, it would have been even worst. This shouldn't have happened in the first case. I don't see how you can justify AT&T's lax security system just because they have iPhone exclusivity.
Servers can get overwhelmed and crash, for example what happened with Sprint with the EVO. That is understandable. But if account information is exposed to other random people in the process, that is unacceptable.
@BrookLynnsFinest AT&T is one of the largest networking and technology companies on the planet, and they can't handle this level of demand, then compromise the data of users? That's nothing but a total disgrace. AT&T is adding allure to the iPhone? What planet are you living on? AT&T makes me want to move to a foreign locale with actual working GSM networks. I'm an iPhone user who probably had his data compromised today. And for pointing this out, I'm an Apple hater. Just go away.
BrookLynnsFinest = TheLondonExchange
Apple-AT&T FAIL!
HAHAHAHAHA!!!! Wow, I really hate AT&T.. The bastards deserve a lawsuit slapped right up against their greedy faces. Can't friggin' wait to jump ship to Verizon when my contract is up..
@midnightslide Maybe my experience in Burbank CA is different from yours, but at least here ATT is working okay, dropping very few calls (haven't dropped one in months), providing okay service, achieving 17.11 Mbps (right this moment) Internet connection speed and answering their phones.
I get the feeling from folks like you that this is not universal. It should be.
@BuzzMega I am in the Northridge, CA area, and unfortunately, my experience is definitely NOT the same. Dropped calls are experienced multiple times per day (on multiple handsets, including: iPhone 2G, iPhone 3G, Nexus One), my 3G speeds are definitely not as good as yours, and most of the time I have to call customer service multiple times before I actually speak to a tech that is willing to troubleshoot vs transfer me to cancellations. Now, with all of the price hikes and security breaches, I think that is all the more reason why they don't deserve my business. I wish my experiences with them were more like yours..
If AT&T cant handle logins, they blew it
@weirdo557 If AT&T compromised your personal information in the same process, they really blew it.
Need to recreate your life after a series of devastating identity thefts? There's an app for that!
Apple is never at fault. They're magical.
@goobie Well, they are at fault - for continuing with AT&T. After today, I make no more excuses for them. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me a bunch of times... well, Apple must be a glutton for punishment.
Hey the resolution on that sad face is nto RETINA DISPLAY! Too pixelated
@kyphem
Every one of those "pixels" is actually comprised of a full HD (1920x1080) array of AppleMagic(TM) Pixels.
@Locust ROFL!!
Now, just release the White Iphone 4 and all will be right again the world.
I sure hope nobody paid my bill for me while they were logged into my account...
@jeremynmo I'm sure this didn't just affect any preorders... i can actually see something like that being possible.
Someone logs in to pay their bill, carelessly clicks through everything since they've done it a million times before, hits "Okay" and then they've paid someone else's bill... while their service gets disconnected due to THEIR bill not being paid.
Though, i suppose it would pull from the other person's credit card. But that would still cause a ton of trouble, cause the guy that just had a cell phone bill hit his empty account early just got in trouble with his bank, and has no real way to prove he didn't do it, since it was his Account on ATT that paid for it.
@GadgetTamer
Actually... According to some reports it did:
http://gizmodo.com/5564913/proof-iphone-4-pre+orders-using-other-peoples-credit-cards-shipping-info
Engadget is dropping the ball in their reporting of this. Gizmodo has scooped(sp) them at every turn.
Excerpt:
That's precisely the bigger problem: Not only AT&T has exposed credit card and shipping address information through their servers and the Apple Store, but it may be very possible that many people have used this wrong information to place the order. This could result in people placing an order with their credit cards, and other people receiving the iPhone 4. That seems to be the case of Gregory S:
From: Gregory S
Subject: iPhone 4 Order Security Breach Exposes Personal Information
Date: June 16, 2010 7:24:45 AM EDT
To: Jesus Diaz
I just received an order confirmation yesterday for an iPhone 4 and I did not even order one! I was googling around to see if this happened to anyone else and I found your article on Gizmodo.
This is amazing! I thought it was fake at first but after checking the order status on AT&T's website I knew it was a real order. Now I just wonder if it will come to my house.
All TMO got on me is my name and shipping address, send me anything*
*no bombs plz!
AT&T should hire Gary McKinnon
What a company of noobs, makes me proud to be an ATT customer.
The iPhone is AT&T's life support. As soon as it leaves, AT&T dies.
@hated one
AT&T's service is awful and the testaments of unhappy iPhone customers in the U.S. about crappy reception, dropped calls, patchy 3G, etc. along with stories about lax security at AT&T only prove this. Apple will leave AT&T the instant their 5 year exclusivity contract is up if Jobs has any sense at all.
If you can't even get trough the preorders without messing everything up, you blew it.
Glad I'm getting rid of ATT
So could people have preordered iPhones under the wrong account.
@Nn4458
According to various reports the answer is yes:
http://gizmodo.com/5564913/proof-iphone-4-pre+orders-using-other-peoples-credit-cards-shipping-info
If only ATT servers ran on Android OS they could have handled multi threading ..iPhone OS tsk tsk...
This is why I'm waiting for a few months to get an iPhone cuz by then hopefully the mad rush will be over. I have always wanted an iPhone and this year is my year. I'll be jumping ship from verizons nickel and dime you network.
@hated one
Give us all a favor and don't procreate...thanks.
@hated one Are you serious? I'm hoping your 12 years old and simply don't know better.
And what are they going to do? Pay my phone bill??? Please, go ahead! Every single time we receive junk mail with our name and address printed on it, it means our information is already in lots of databases.
hahahahahahahaha.... poor lil tink tink
@hated one No.
ok i knew the iphone 4 was going to be a hit and people were going to go nuts, i got on at 3:01 am (CST) which is a minute after the website was updated via the Apple servers, i spent the next 4 hours attempting to pre-order, i refuse to believe it was because there was so many people attempting online, it was because apple probably had the website updates automatically uploaded when no1 was there and there was obviously errors, now people like myself that spend the time and money with the company are dealing with the consequences. ive spent thousands of dollars with this company and frankly i am very let down.
hopefully puremobile.ca secured a big shipment :)
Good Serves those bastards right!!!! tHAT'S CALLED KARMA AT&T ever heard of it. U treat your customers like shit and you get that in return.
ATT seems to like to stick it in every orfice their customers have... hope you iPhone users have plenty of lube at home.
at&t suspending pre-orders! LMAO!
I don't get it. Why isn't this story getting the full-bore flames treatment here that it is getting over at Gizmodo, who bought a stolen phone prototype and carved it open, you know, in the public interest, last April?
Whadda you guys? Journalists?
Amazing how AT&T is the 2nd largest carrier in America, a multi billion dollar company, and still gets more security breaches then verizon (top dog) or the two major carriers beneath them
Looks like another class action settlement. I look forward to the $20 check I'll be receiving in 7 years
People still don't know how to click a "Logout/Logoff" button???
Chuck Norris' dog is trained to pick up his own poop because Chuck Norris will not take s**t from anyone.