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Tolmes News Service 22
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# <Tolmes News Service> #
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# > Written by Dr. Hugo P. Tolmes < #
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Issue Number: 22
Release Date: January 25, 1988
Welcome to TNS Issue #22.
The subjects of this issue will be as follows:
- Reprint (from Issue #21) of the TNS Directory
- Radio ANI
- Credit Card Fraud Arrests
- My View of the FON Card
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What follows is a reprint of the directory from TNS Issue #21. In case you
missed Issue #21, here is the directory of TNS issues:
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Tolmes News Service Issue #1
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Introduction to TNS Magazine
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Tolmes News Service Issue #2
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Introduction to Issue #2
They Sure Can Talk in Raleigh
Teaching Computer Ethics in the Schools
Cash-Machine Magician
Cheaper Electronics Makes It a Snap to Snoop
Los Alamos Nuclear Facility Security Boost
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Tolmes News Service Issue #3
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Making Computers Snoop-Proof
War Against Phone Hacking Heats Up
Toll Fraud Trial Sets New Tone
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Tolmes News Service Issue #4
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Cellular Technology
Pirate BBS
Scanning Bust
Rip Offs
How the Soviets Are Bugging America
Deadly Bugs
The Newest Dating Game
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Tolmes News Service Issue #5
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Electronic Cryptography Report
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Tolmes News Service Issue #6
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HD Sentry: Hard Disk Protection from Trojan Horse Programs
Check This: Ma Bell is a Generous Soul
Sign In and then Sign On
How To Beat Phone Assault
Prisoner Phone Phreaks
Suburban Kids Are Too Dumb to Steal
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Tolmes News Service Issue #7
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Federal Sting Nets 25 for Cellular Phone Fraud in NYC
18 Are Seized in Illegal Use of Mobile Telephones
Hello Anywhere
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Tolmes News Service Issue #8
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Keeping the Secrets Inside the Computer
Bugging
Urine Hot-Line
Ihe Phone
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Tolmes News Service Issue #9
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The National Guards
The Caller That Isn't Long-Winded
A Call to Stop Long-Distance Scam
Online Junkies- Artificial Intelligence
Hacking Through NASA: A Threat- Or Only an Embarassment
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Tolmes News Service Issue #10
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The Bust of Shadow Hawk
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Tolmes News Service Issue #11
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Shadow Hawk's Bust: Continued from TNS Issue #10
US Sprint Sues "Ring" of Hackers for $20 Million
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Tolmes News Service Issue #12
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The Blue Box and Ma Bell
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Tolmes News Service Issue #13
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Capt. Zap: Informant?
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Tolmes News Service Issue #14
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411: Life at Directory Assistance
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Tolmes News Service Issue #15
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The Max Headroom TV Pirate
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Tolmes News Service Issue #16
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The Celling of America
Tales That Do Not Compute
Responses to Issue #12's Article
Introduction: TNS QuickNotes
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Tolmes News Service Issue #17
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New Security Measures at ITT
Capt. Zap's Defense
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Tolmes News Service Issue #18
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2600 Magazine's Official Bulletin Boards
Some Things about Phrack Inc.
Syndicate Report: Will It Return?
TNS QuickNotes
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Tolmes News Service Issue #19
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'If You Need Help, Press 3'
Satellite Paging
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TITLE: Pinning The Blame
FROM: Radio-Electronics
DATE: January 1988
by Herb Friedman, Communications Editor
Several years ago, the police of a major city, who were fed up to their
blue hats by politicians who really didn't care two hoots about any of the
civil servants, revolted in the only way they could short of striking: They
simply broadcast nonsense on their radio network. It all started with a
phantom voice asking, "Who dat?" Another voice asked, "Who dat who said who
dat?" Then "I know who said who dat"; and so it went, hour after hour.
Now fury like a politician ridiculed, for that's what the
"Who dat?" was, and the morning papers headlined the mayor's and the police
commissioner's threats to hang the whole police force if necessary. The way
the mayor and the commissioner told it, the time spent by the boys in blue
asking "Who dat?" allowed criminals to run wild in the streets. In fact,
however, the hundreds of manhours the mayor ordered to be wasted trying to
identify the voices from air-check tap recordings probably resulted in more
street crime and arson than a century of "Who dats?"
Today, the problem of identification would most likely not exist.
Not because the policiticians are any smarter- they most certainly are not -
but because trasmission identification has become so important a part of both
cost accounting and legal defense that most communications systems are
upgrading to automatic transmission identification. Where does "legal
defense" come in? Simply because virtually any time a person dies before an
ambulance or the EMS team arrives, some hotshot street lawyer will claim the
response was excessively late and agitate the bereaved family to institute
a lawsuit.
ACCOUNTABILITY
In fact, our society has become so complex that it is essential that we
have the capability to provide almost a second-by-second accounting of our
communications. How else do we get accountability- which in plain English
means "Who can we stick with the blame?"
Until recent times, the best system for communicatons accounting was
the logging recorder, a special ultra-slow-speed tape recorder (so it could
run unattended for up to a day) that recorded all communications traffic,
as well the date and time on a special time track. If you wanted to find out
what was said or who was called at a specific time, you simply ran the
logging recorder at a fast speed until a digital readout indicated the desired
time (and date), and then listened to the channel traffic. It's the same kind
of system the police use to record emergency calls.
But while the logging tape can tell you what was said and when it was
said, it can't tell you who said it; particularly so since the modulation
characteristics of modern transmitters are only a shade better than that of
two paper cups connected by string; so it's often difficult, if not impossible,
to distinguish the difference between male and female, child and adult.
What was needed for true accountability was automatic transmitter
identification, so that when the transmit switch was pressed the first thing
that goes out is the mobile's or hand-held's ID number, which is indicated
on the dispatcher's console display and on a printout. The console display
shows the time and the ID number; the printout can show the behicle's ID
number, the date, and time the transmission started, the time the
transmission ended, and even the status of the vehicle. For example, if a taxi
has its flag down, if the vehicle is stopped or moving, or if the vehicle is
in trouble (keyed by a switch under the driver's seat). A sample printouI (Automatic Number Identification) system of the Control Signal
Corporation (1985 S. Depew St., Denver, CO 80227) is shown in Fig. 1.
A really big feature with some units, such as the ANI, is automatic
time-out for stuck mobileunit PTT (Push To Talk) switches, which would result in a channel being continuously jammed.
If the mike's PTT switch jams closed, the dispatcher's console sounds an
alarm and identifies the offending unit. After a preset time, the ANI
encoder in the mobile automatically shuts off the transmitter. While that
might take the transmitter out of service until the vehicle returns to the
shop, at least it unjams the channel for other users.
More often than not, however, the primary purpose of automatic
identification is to stop horeplay and eliminate mischief, such as "dead
carriers," microphone clicks, belching, foul language, and "Who dats."
HOW IT'S DONE
Depending on the particular communications system, the identification
data can be sent via subaudible or audible tones. The disadvantages of
subaudible tones are that they can't be used if the system already uses
subaudible tones for CTCSS (tone squelch) or if the signal must be sent
over conventional telephone lines, and every unit in the system must be able
to handle subaudible tones.
Audible tones, on the other hand, will pass through any kind of
communications equipment. In Control Signal's ANI system, a 3-digit ID code
is a 100 millisecond (1/10 second) two-frequency FSK burst after the
transmitter is keyed. (The delay between keying the PTT switch and the tone
burst is adjustable to accomodate the particular communicatons system.) Six
half-cycles of one-half the base frequency is a space.
As you can see, since the ANI system uses conventional audio tones
that fall within the passband of conventional communications gear,
including telephone circuits, it can easily be added to just about any
mobile-base system, providing 100% accountability. Ah, yes! Just when you
think Big Brother has exhausted all his wiles and guiles, he can come up with
yet another.
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NOTA:
The author of this article is Herb Friedman. Herb Friedman is also the writer
of the article "The Blue Box and Ma Bell" which can be found in Tolmes News
Service Issue #12.
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TITLE: 4 Indicted In Credit Card Scam
FROM: The Chicago Sun-Times
DATE: January 22, 1987
By Rosalind Rossi
Four people were indicted Thursday on charges they ran up more than
$45,000 in credit car bills for designer items by using a sophisticated
credit card scam.
The ring was stopped from purchasing 400 more items worth an additional
$345,000 by Spiegel Inc., which spotted the alleged fraud and alerted police,
authorities said.
Lisa Howard, a spokeswoman for Cook County State's Attorney Richard M.
Daley, said ring members randomly phoned people between September, 1985,
and February, 1987, to obtain credit card other information.
The defendants allegedly phoned Spiegel, Marshall Field's, and Saks
Fifth Avenue and ordered merchandise, using the newly obtained credit card
numbers.
They would have the merchandise delivered to another address, Howard
said.
The scam was uncovered after credit card holders complained to Spiegel
about mysterious purchases on their bills, Howard said.
Janine Movish, supervisor of Spiegel's fraud investigations, noticed
the purchases were mailed to certain addresses.
Area 1 property crimes detectives then were detailed to deliver the
items, Howard said.
Charged were James Willis, 22, of 1512 E. Marquette Rd.; Lena Sanders,
24, of 6419 S. Cottage Grove; Antonio Freeman, 23, of 1445 E. 67th Pl., and
Glenn Milton, 28, of 3837 S. Ellis.
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NOTA:
Things that you can learn from this:
1) don't overabuse cards
2) use different drop sites every time
3) you can get cards easily by calling people on the phone and claiming to be
a representative from the CC company (and get the expiration.. bank name..)
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FON= Fiber Optic Network
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I keep on seeing all of these FON card commercials. Sprint is spending many
millions of dollars for a massive campaign of advertising. It's attempts
are to get people to replace AT&T Calling Cards with FON cards. The new
cards are nice (looking) and claim to use the new fiber optic network (FON).
Note: if you look at the cards in the commerical you can see the number for
the access port...... I think......
Just someting I wanted to say.
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