I have a cell phone account with AT&T, I got my brother a cell phone on my account
because he couldn't due to credit issues.  Against my better
judgement, I did this for him and as I had planned it was nothing but
problems.  He did NOT make on payment on the phone bill.  I suspended
the account, to avoid breaking the contract and paying $150-$175.  He
had promised to pay and I unsuspended it but to no avail.  So I
suspended it one last time.  Last Saturday I called to see if that GSM
# would be able to go on a certain Motorola phone I bought so I could
give it to my wife.  AT&T told me the # had been reactivated!! My
brother had apparently gotten my social security number (last 4
digits) and called them, unaware that I had set it up with AT&T that
they are suposed to be prompted to ask me an additional password after
the S.S.N.  He did something what I don't know and was still able to
activate the phone.  So after a 3 hour phone debate with AT&T
operators I finally re-suspended the account.  Mid afternoon on Sunday
I got a text message from that phone number, it was my brother stating
ha ha he got it back.  So again I called AT&T, 2 1/2 hours later the
operator finally zapped the sim card in his phone as to disable it so
he would have to go buy another one and it was suposed to be flagged
to not allow that.  Monday I called and found out that he had gone and
changed EVERYTHING over to his name, he had apparently told one of the
supervisors that he didn['t know the "extra password" and gave him
some song and dance story.  I did find out that he had called acting
as me 5-6 times.  AT&t would not give me any information on the
account because I didn't know his S.S.N!!!!!  It was my account
though, that # was gonna be my wifes.  Regardless of that, I had taken
extra measures to prevent this and it was not done, to me anyone with
a good story and the last four of my S.S.N. can access my account! 
Monday was another 3 hour phone conversation, ending in a we will get
back to you, from them.  Wednesday my wife recieved a call from AT&T
stating they were wrong, and they apologize.  I was told to be by the
phone because Brian (AT&T operator) was going to call me with his
supervisor to set up a password that is going to be asked after my
S.S.N.!!!  I had already done that and it didn't work.  Besides the
legal issues my brother crossed, I had done fairly extensive reading
on AT&Ts web site and security issues that they promised were nil and
void in my case.  I feel that since I went through the trouble of
getting a password set up after the S.S.N. question, they aren't
coming up with a new and improved way to secure my or anyone elses
accounts!!!  I feel I should be compensated by AT&T.  Is there any
legal routes I should or can take?  They have still not called me and
when I called them (5-1-03) I got thier voice mail.  Who would I
contact to persue this, and what kind of compensation, if any, can I
get?  Thanks in advance.

As a former ISP owner I have delt with many "technology" issues simlar
to this.  I strongly recomend getting the police or the FBI invloved. 
Your brother comitted fraud, and you may be able to sue ATT for
neglect.  I also recomend that you contact an attourney in your area. 
Call the Lawyer tell them the situation and see if you have a case. 
Most good lawyers will speak with you for free for about 10 minutes to
see if you have a case.

There is no compensation here. No case. Your situation was summed up
in your first sentence. You had responsibility for the phone.
Passwords aren't a guarantee of security or protection from liability
due to misuse or fraud.

If your brother did take over the account and released you from
financial responsibility then you have nothing to worry about, but be
sure you are in no way attached to the account. As far as the phone
number, just get another one. And thank your brother for finally
taking responsibility.

Well I guess my point is why is it that I set up a password that is to
be asked after my S.S.N. and them not use it like they said they
would.  They had used it EVERY time before.  He was able to access the
account because he told the operator a sob story about me taking his
phone from him.  So they let him access the account.  My point being,
I set up a password, they knew it, he knew it, and yet once asked the
password he could tell them a story and still get in.  That is NOT the
way it works.  Its not like it was a computer glitch, this was a human
making a decision to allow someone else besides myself into MY
account.  The answer should have been NO.  Just like they did to me
when he switched everything over.  As far as him being responsible for
the bill, he NEVER ONCE paid and when he got it in his name he had to
put a $400 deposit, which none went to the balance still left on MY
account.  In that case why didn't he just get his own #.  It was my
account, not his to do as he pleases, and AT&T dropped the ball by
allowing him to do what he did, they never even notified me that this
was happening.

Please lets not focus on the fact he is my brother, those issues I
wouldn't expect anyone from the "google answers" department to be able
to answer. Dr. Phil would probably be stumped on what to do.  Anyway,
it just seems wrong that AT&T seems so absent minded about it.

Dear Caster, 

First of all, from your comment I understood that you are a little
offended from the comments regarding your family problems. Please
note, that the people who commented here are *not* Google Answers
Researchers, just "regular" users, like yourself. You could identify
Google Answers Researchers by the blue link on their names (indicating
that you could read more about the researcher on that link).

Now, regarding your question: - 
(1) Google Answers researchers are not lawyers (some are, but on
Google Answers they do not function as ones). Our advice here does not
replace a chat with a lawyer, in this case an expert to contracts and
fraud.
(2) Please read your contract carefully. Is the security issue
mentioned? Specifically, is the additional password mentioned? Are
there any reparations or compensations in case that AT&T breached your
privacy and gave services to another person, impersonating to be you?
If there is, you *might* be able to demand these reparations.
(3) The best thing for you might be to contact consumer protection
organisations in your area - if you have a case, they might assist you
with legal aid, or at least with some advice. If you don't know where
to go and need assitance in finding it, please ask such a question
(indicating where you are).

I'll be always glad to help.

Mr/Mrs. politicalguru-ga 
I thank you for your response and I apologize if I seem tense on some
of the comments.  Maybe thats why, because they are comments and not
the answers I am needing.  I just think that focus of the question is
taken away when it is mentioned that it is my brother.  Anyway, I live
in San Jose CA and any direction I could be pointed to would be of
great assistance.  Thank you so much for taking the time to respond.