UPDATE 1-AT&T gets injunctions vs accused pretexters

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NEW YORK, April 17 (Reuters) - AT&T Inc. (T.N) said on Tuesday it reached settlements with and obtained injunctions against 13 individuals and businesses it accused of fraudulently gaining access to phone records and other confidential information.

AT&T said the settlements involved undisclosed cash payments and injunctions forbidding the defendants from engaging in such activity, called pretexting.

AT&T had filed federal lawsuits in August 2006, saying defendants used fraudulent means to gain access to AT&T's business records containing confidential information.

Pretexting, which could involve impersonating someone, is often used in marital disputes or in delinquent bill payments. AT&T did not say who might have hired the defendants accused of pretexting.

The practice came under the spotlight in a scandal involving Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ.N), in which investigators trying to identify who might have leaked company information from board meetings obtained the phone records of board members, journalists and employees without permission.

(Additional reporting by Shikhar Balwani in Bangalore)