File: GETTING CAUGHT
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			  -= ON GETTING CAUGHT =-

  WELL, MY BEST PHONE PHREAK PHRIEND GETTING BUSTED PROMPTED THIS SERIES OF
MESSAGES ON GETTING CAUGHT FOR PHREAKING. I GUESS I'LL JUST OUTLINE WAYS
THAT WOULD LEAD TO A PHONE PHREAK GETTING CAUGHT AND THE RELATIVE CHANCES. 
FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS ONLY FOR THE HIGH-VOLUME CALLERS, NOT YOU OUT THERE WHO 
MAKE 5-10 CALLS/DAY. YOU DON'T REALLY NEED TO WORRY TOO MUCH.   FIRST OF ALL, 
I'LL DESCRIBE THE MOST COMMON METHOD THAT LDS USE TO CATCH FRAUDULENT CALLERS. 
WHEN YOU MAKE A "PHREE CALL" THE PHONE NUMBER SHOWS UP ON SOMEONE'S BILL, OF 
COURSE. THEREFORE THE SCC SIMPLY CALLS THAT NUMBER, OR AN AUXILLARY TO THE SAME
 HOME, AND ASKS "...WHO CALLED AT BLAH-BLAH, ON MARCH BLAH-BLAH AND TALKED FOR 
XX MINS?" ETC.   MANY TIMES THEY'LL PUT PRESSURE ON THE PERSON WITH WHOM THEY 
SPEAK AND  TALK ABOUT PENALTIES FOR WITHHOLDING EVIDENCE, ETC, BUT THIS IS BS, 
OF COURSE. BUT, IF THEY GET AN UNSUSPECTING VICTIM, AS IN MY PHRIEND'S CASE,
AND IF THEY REMEMBER WHO DID INDEED CALL THEM, IT'S BUST CITY...ONE PERSONS'S 
SAYING SO IS NOT ENOUGH TO GET A PHREAK BUSTED. BUT, GETTING A NAME IS THE HARD
PART FOR THE LD. AFTER THAT, LINES TAPS, DIALING PATTERN CHECKS AND OTHER 
PRELIMINARY INVSTIGATION PROCEDURES FOLLOW, MANY TIMES NAILING THE PHREAK.
  IF THE CALLED-PARTY CHECK FAILS, THEN MANY LD COMPANIES WILL SIMPLY LET IT
DROP, UNLESS THE BILL IS 500 PAGES LONG OR HAS INT'L CALLS OR SOMETHING. IN 
THIS CASE, THEY WILL USE A SECOND  PROCEDURE:

  IF YOU LIVE IN AN ESS TELEPHONE REGION, EVERY TIME YOU DIAL A PHONE NUMBER, 
IT IS RECORDED IN MEMORY AND STORED FOR THREE MONTHS. NOW, IN THE CASE OF A 
LOCAL DIAL-UP LD (I.E., NON-800), THEY WILL RUN A SCAN OF ALL EXCHANGES IN THE 
AREA TO SEE WHO EXACTLY MADE THE FRAUDULENT PHONE CALLS AT EACH PARTICULAR 
TIME. IF YOUR NUMBER POPS UP MORE THAN ONCE, YOU'VE GOT PROBLEMS.

  THERE IS AN INCREDIBLY SIMPLE WAY TO AVOID THIS: MOST LDS HAVE ACCESS NUMBERS
IN GROUPS OF 50 OR 100. LIKE 215-793-2800. THAT HAS 40 OR SO: 2800 THRU 2840, I
THINK.
		      MORE......
  THIS MEANS THAT 793-2800 TO 2840 ARE ALL MCI ACCESS NUMBERS. IT IS ONE ROTARY
GROUP. SO HERE'S WHAT TO DO. ADD ONE TO THE ACCESS NUMBER. CHECK TO MAKE SURE 
THAT IS IS STILL A GOOD ACCESS NUMBER (ESS ARE SOMETIMES TRICKY AND SKIP A 
NUMBER OR TWO). THEN, INSTEAD OF DIALING THE REGULAR ACCESS NUMBER, DIAL 1+. 
E.G., DIAL 793-2801 INSTEAD OF 793-2800. THEN THE ESS SCAN FOR # DIALED WILL 
SKIP RIGHT OVER YOU.   THIS WORKS WITH METFONE 215-351-0100. DIAL 0101 OR 0102,
 ETC.... AND IT ALSO WORKS FOR MOST LOCAL DIAL-UP SERVICES. 800S YOU DON'T HAVE
 TO WORRY ABOUT.   NOW MORE ON 800S. EVERY TIME YOU DIAL AN 800 NUMBER, IT IS 
DULY NOTED AT YOUR FRIENDLY ESS 1 & 2 OFFICES. IF YOUR 800 NUMBER DIALING 
SUDDENLY JUMPS FROM, SAY 15/MONTH TO 17,670 IN TWO WEEKS (INDI- CATING THAT 
YOU'VE BEEN HACKING), A TROUBLE CARD IS DROPPED ON YOUR LINE. IF ENOUGH TCS 
PILE UP, THEY SLAP A DNR ON YOUR LINE AND LOOK AT EXACTLY WHAT NUMBER'S YOU'RE 
DIALING AND WHAT FOR. SO INCREASE YOUR 800 NUMBER DIALING SLOWLY, AND BE SAFE. 
WELL, HOPE I'VE HELPED SOMEONE OUT. ANY QUESTIONS, JUST E-LETTER ME....
		     (MARK TABAS)
