WASHINGTON, D.C. ? Hewlett-Packard Co.’s board of directors on Friday called an emergency meeting for Sunday as a scandal involving spying on board members and journalists escalated and prompted Chairwoman Patricia Dunn to say she would step down if asked.

California Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer, meanwhile, said the case is wider than previously reported and hinted it could go beyond the Silicon Valley technology pioneer.

In an interview Friday, Lockyer said two separate incidents took place – in 2005 and 2006 – in which contractors for HP obtained personal records by posing as someone else, a practice known as pretexting. In both cases, the company hired contractors to determine who had leaked confidential company information to the media.

The board meeting, which will be conducted by telephone, is likely to focus on the fate of Dunn, who took over as chairwoman after the high-profile ouster of Carly Fiorina in 2005.

On Friday, Dunn distanced herself from the tactics used by subcontractors for HP, saying in an interview with the Associated Press that she had not approved them.