HP bloke claims he was victim of pretexting

A FORMER HP boss who was fired for stealing trade secrets claims the outfit snooped on his private phone records and used the same dodgy spying tactics it would later use in the boardroom spying probe.

According to the Associated Press, Karl Kamb, who was HP's vice president of business development until 2005, has sued the outfit claiming its investigators used his Social Security number to trick two telephone companies into divulging his detailed call logs.

HP was looking for proof that Kamb pocketed cash destined for a former Dell executive Katsumi Iizuka, who was recruited and hired by Kamb in 2002. Iizuka was hired to dig up information on Dell's anticipated printer-business launch.

However, because the spies cocked up, HP erroneously assumed that Kamb misappropriated those funds, he claims. HP engaged in illegal acts to obtain Kamb's private information, it converted his personal property, and it fired him without payment of his promised severance benefits, Kamb claims in the court case.

Iizuka left Dell in 1995 and apparently gave key details to HP about the outfit's plans, including product configurations and specifications, target costs and pricing estimates, and proposed manufacturers and suppliers.

HP claims that Kamb came under scrutiny in 2005 when his ex-wife subpoenaed HP during a messy divorce. She wanted information about Kamb's side project, which was a flat-screen TV company that competed with HP. The maker of printer ink said it was the first it heard about the venture, and the company started its investigation. It claims that Kamb and others funnelled company secrets to the side project, causing HP to incur damages that may exceed $100 million.

HP has sued Kamb, four other former HP employees and two outside contractors, including Iizuka. More here. µ