Bioc Agent 003's course in basic telecommunications Part 1
*******BIOC AGENT 003'S COURSE IN*******
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* =BASIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS= *
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* PART I *
****************************************PREFACE
IN THIS COURSE, I PLAN TO COVER AS MUCH MATERIAL AS POSSIBLE RELATING TO TELECOMMUNICATIONS. FIRST, IN THE SYLLABUS ARE THE LONG-DISTANCE SERVICES, WHICH IS THE TOPIC OF PART I. IN FUTURE ISSUES, SUCH SUBJECTS AS THE BELL NETWORK, COLORED BOXES, TELEPHONE ELECTRONICS, CENTRAL OFFICE EQUIPMENT, COMPUTER HACKING, AND MUCH, MUCH MORE WILL BE COVERED.
LONG-DISTANCE SERVICES
IN AN ATTEMP TO OFFER LOW PRICES, ALTERNATIVES TO BELL HAVE BEEN SET UP.
SERVICES SUCH AS SPRINT, METROFONE, ITT, MCI, TRAVELNET, AND MANY OTHERS ARE ALL FAMILIAR TO US.
THE BASIS OF ALL THESE SERVICES ARE THAT THEY OWN THEIR OWN SWITCHING EQUIPMENT. FIRST, WE WILL LOOK AT THOSE SERVICES THAT USE LOCAL DIAL-UP.
THE PRINCIPAL OF THESE ARE:
- YOU DIAL THE LOCAL #
- WHEN IT PICKS UP YOU GET A 2ND DIAL TONE, YOU THEN ENTER THE CODE
- YOU THEN ENTER THE # AND WHALLA, YOU'RE CONNECTED, A FREE CALL!
NEXT, WE WILL LOOK AT SEVERAL OF THESE SERVICES
SPRINT
SPRINT, ALSO KNOWN AS SPC, WAS ONE OF THE FIRST LD SERVICES.
MANY BOARDS CONTAIN SPC #'S AND I PLAN TO INCLUDE A LIST OF THEM AS AN APPENDIX TO THIS COURSE SO YOU CAN FIND YOUR LOCAL #
THE CODES FOR SPC ARE 8 DIGITS LONG, SPC IS NOT CONSIDERED SAFE, SINCE MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BUSTED ON IT! IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT SPRINT HAS DECLARED WAR ON PHONE PHREAKS SO, FIGHT BACK.(WITH CARE)
914 DIAL-UP-->(914)997-1616
METROFONE
METROFONE, OWNED BY WESTERN UNION, IS VERY POPULAR AMONG PHONE PHREAKS DUE TO THE LARGE ABUNDANCE OF CODES AND IT(AT THE TIME OF THIS WRITING) IS CONSIDERED FAIRLY SAFE.
THE CODE IS 6 DIGITS LONG
TO FIND THE LOCAL DIAL-UP FOR YOUR AREA, JUST CALL (800)325-1403 AND ASK THE "NICE LADY" FOR THE # FOR YOUR AREA
FORMAT: AT TONE-->CODE+AREA CODE
(NPA)+DESTINATION #NOTE: NPA & A/C ARE ABBREVIATIONS FOR AREA CODE
ITT
ITT IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN THAT UPON HEARING THE DIAL TONE AFTER CALLING THE LOCAL ACCESS #, YOU ENTER THE A/C AND THEN THE #. YOU WILL THEN HEAR A SHORT TONE, YOU THEN IMMEDIATELY ENTER YOUR 7 DIGIT ACCESS CODE
DIAL-UPS: (212)248-0151, (914)997-8576
FORMAT: AT TONE, DESTINATION # + 7 DIGIT ACCESS CODE
950 EXCHANGE
THE 950 EXCHANGE IS A NATIONWIDE ACCESS EXCHANGE, IN MOST AREAS, THAT INCLUDES SUCH SERVICES AS SKYLINE, LEXITEL, ALLNET AND OTHERS. ALL SERVICES ON THIS EXCHANGE ARE CONSIDERED DANGEROUS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE THE TRACED!
SKYLINE
SBS SKYLINE IS A NEW SERVICE OWNED BY IBM, COMSAT AND AETNA IT HAS THE SAME LOCAL ACCESS # ACROSS THE COUNTRY: 950-1088. IT IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE 6(POSSIBLY 8) DIGIT CODES AND IS ALLEGED TO BE VERY DANGEROUS.
ALLNET
ALLNET IS AT 950-1044. IT HAS 6 DIGIT CODES.
CALLING CARDS
CALLING CARDS ARE BELL'S VERSION OF SPRINT, MCI, ETC. CALLING CARDS ARE USED PRIMARILY FROM PAY FONES THE FORMAT IS:
NPA-NXX-XXXX-CCCC
NPA IS USUALLY THE AREA CODE OF THE BILLED # THAT THE CALL IS TO BE BILLED TO, THIS MAY BE REPLACED BY A 3 DIGIT RAO CODE IN SOME AREAS.
NXX-XXXX IS THE NUMBER THAT THE CALL IS BILLED TO.
CCCC IS A CHECKCODE<OR PIN--PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER> THAT ADDS THE SECURITY TO CALLING CARDS. THE CODES USED TO BE PREDICTABLE UNTIL 1983. NOW CCCC APPEARS TO BE SEQUENTIALLY GENERATED SO THE CODES CANNOT BE CALCULATED FROM A FORMULA!
THE EASIEST WAY TO FIND THESE CODES ARE IN BUSY AIRPORTS OR COLLEGE WHERE THEY ARE USED ALOT. JUST GET CLOSE AND COPY DOWN SOMEONES CODE (IF YOU ARE THAT UNSCRUPULOUS!) DON'T RIP OFF POOR PEOPLE; GO FOR THE RICH PIGS!
YOU USUALLY CALL THE OPERATOR TO MAKE A CC CALL BUT ON SOME FORTRESS FONES, YOU CAN DIAL 0+THE NUMBER YOU WANT TO CALL AND YOU WILL GET A RECORDING & TONE WHERE YOU ENTER YOUR CALLING CARD # BY PRESSING THE # SIGN<OCTOTHORPE> AFTER EACH CALL INSTEAD OF HANGING UP, YOU CAN MAKE MANY CALLS AT ONCE WITHOUT HAVING TO RETYPE THE CC # EACH TIME THIS IS GOOD FOR BUSY NUMBERS. ALSO, IF YOU WANT TO CALL THE # OF THE CARD, IE THE BILLED #, YOU JUST HAVE TO ENTER THE LAST 4 DIGITS OF THE CC # AT THE TONE.
NOW, SUPPOSE YOU GET A REAL OPERATOR. SINCE MOSTLY BUSINESS PEOPLE USE CALLING CARDS, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT YOU ACT A LITTLE LIKE A BUSINESS PERSON, IE, RUSHED, OLDER, BUSINESSLIKE, AND SLIGHTLY PISSED AT THE OPERATOR (KEYWORD: SLIGHTLY). ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TELL HER THE CC #. IF SHE ASKS YOU FOR THE NUMBER YOU ARE CALLING FROM TELL HER BUT CHANGE THE LAST 2 DIGITS. IF SHE ASKS YOU MORE QUESTIONS, SHE IS PROBABLY SUSPICIOUS, HANG UP. ALTHOUGH, YOU SHOULD MAKE SOME ANSWERS TO CERTAIN QUESTIONS TO SATISFY THE OPERATOR THAT YOU ARE LEGIT. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU SHOULD KNOW WHEN MAKING A CC CALL IS THE AREA CODE AND THE CITY OF THE CARD.
FINALLY, IN CASE THE OPERATOR IS LISTENING, ALWAYS TALK BUSINESSLIKE FOR THE FIRST FEW SECONDS UNTIL THE OPERATOR CLICKS OFF (THEY HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO LISTEN IN ON CALLS (UNDERSTATEMENT)). ALSO, ALWAYS USE CC'S FROM PAY FONES OR CHARGE-A-CALL FONES ONLY!
CAUTION: ALL THE CC CODES ARE NOW RAPIDLY CHECKED DUE TO CCIS (COMMON CHANNEL INTER-OFFICE SIGNALLING) AND ESS (ELECTRONIC SWITCHING SYSTEM) IF YOU TRY TO HACK CC CODES YOU CAN BE FAIRLY SURE THAT BELL SECURITY (AFFECTIONALLY KNOWN AS THE GESTAPO IN THE PHREAKING WORLD) WILL GET A MESSAGE FROM THE CO (CENTRAL OFFICE, IE, EXCHANGE)!
800 SERVICES
YOU ARE ALL PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH WATS. WATS #'S (WIDE AREA TELEPHONE SERVICE, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS 800 #'S) ARE VERY POPULAR DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY ARE TOLL-FREE. THEY OFTEN CONTAIN WATS EXTENDERS. EXTENDERS WERE ORIGINALLY USED BY SALESMEN IN THE FIELD WHO CALLED UP THEIR COMPANY'S 800 # (INWATS #) AND THEN USED THE COMPANY'S LOW PRICED OUTWATS LINE TO MAKE THE CALL. THIS IS CHEAPER TO THE COMPANY THAN USING BELL CALLING CARD WHICH HAS A SURCHARGE.
ON THE ORIGINAL EXTENDERS THERE WERE NO CODES! COMPANIES SOON REALIZED THAT THEIR #'S WERE BEING USED AND ADDED THE PRESENT DAY SECURITY CODES. THE SALESMAN WOULD THEN DIAL THE 800 NUMBER AND ENTER THE CODE (USUALLY 4 DIGITS), HE WOULD THEN RECEIVE A SECOND DIAL TONE FROM THE COMPANIES PBX (PRIVATE BRANCH EXCHANGE - THEIR OWN SWITCHING EQUIPMENT - IE, SWITCHBOARD). HE WOULD THEN ACCESS THE OUTWATS LINE BY DIALING AN 8 OR 9 AND THEN THE #. THESE CODES WERE ORIGINALLY HAND-HACKED, BUT SOME PIONEER PHREAK ADDED AN INTERFACE TO CHARLIE, HIS APPLE II COMPUTER, WHICH WAS CAPABLE OF GENERATING DTMF TONES (DUAL-TONE-MULTI-FREQUENCY - IE, GENERIC NAME FOR TOUCH-TONE (TM)) AND TRYING ALL THE CODES. THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS THAT MA BELL GOT SUSPICIOUS WHEN THEY SAW THAT SOMEONE CALLED THE JOE BLOW RUBBER COMPANY 800 # IN CALIFORNIA 4,568 TIMES AT 2 AM AND EACH CALL LASTED FOR ONLY 1 SECOND!
TRAVELNET
TRAVELNET IS A SERVICE THAT USES WATS AS WELL AS LOCAL ACCESS #'S.
THE 800 # IS (800)521-8400.
AFTER THE TONE ENTER THE 8 DIGIT CODE, IF THE CODE WAS RIGHT YOU'LL GET AN AUTHORIZATION #, PLEASE." YOU THEN SAY EACH DIGIT SLOWLY. IT WILL BEEP AFTER YOU EACH DIGIT. AFTER EACH GROUP OF DIGITS, IT WILL REPEAT WHAT YOU HAVE SAID.
SAY YES IF IT IS RIGHT, OTHERWISE, SAY NO. IF THE AUTHORIZATION CODE IS CORRECT, IT WILL SAY THANK YOU AND IT'LL THEN ASK FOR THE DESTINATION #. FOLLOW THE SAME PROCEDURE AS ABOVE. THE VOICE SYSTEM IS VERY USER FRIENDLY AND YOU SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH IT.
TEL-TEC
TEL-TEC IS AT (800)323-3026. IN MY EXPERIENCES, YOU USUALLY GET A VERY SHITTY CONNECTION. THIS I USE FOR LAST RESORTS.
FORMAT: 6 DIGIT CODE + DEST. #
CAUTION: LIKE THE 950 EXCHANGE, 800 NUMBERS CAN BE EASILY TRACED. THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY TRACE EVERYTHING, THOUGH.
OTHERS
THERE ARE MANY OTHER 800 SERVICES AND PBX'S (SUCH AS THE DIMENSION 2000 AT 800-848-9000). THER IS JUST NOT ENOUGH ROOM TO DISCUSS THEM ALL. AS YOU HAVE PROBABLY NOTICED, I HAVE POSTED NO CODES. CHECH THE PHREAK SECTION OF VARIOUS BBS'S TO FIND THE LATEST CODES OR HACK THEM YOURSELF. HAND-HACK GOOD POSSIBILITIES OR USE A "SMART" MODEM WITH A HACKING PROGRAM (CONTACT YOUR LOCAL PIRATE).
HOW MA BELL CATCHES PHONE HACKERS
BESIDES SUSPICION AND RANDOM CHECKS, MA BELL SETS UP "TRAP NUMBERS". TRAP NUMBERS WERE SET UP ON CERTAIN DIAL-UPS SUCH AS SPRINT, MCI, ETC. WHENEVER, THE DIAL-UP IS CALLED A "TROUBLE CARD" IS DROPPED AT THE CENTRAL OFFICE. THIS MEANS THAT A RECORD OF THE CALLED #, THE CALLERS # AND THE TIME ARE PRINTED OUT. THESE CARDS (OR PRINTOUTS IN AN ESS CO) ARE USUALLY IGNORED UNLESS SPC OR SOMEBODY DETECTS FRAUD, IE, UNAUTHORIZED USE OF A CUSTOMERS ACCT., THEN THEY CALL BELL AND FIND OUT THE NAME AND THE NUMBER AND INSTANTLY NAIL THE PHREAK WHO MADE THE CALL. THEY THEN EITHER DEMAND THAT YOU PAY SOME ENORMOUS FEE AND THEY'LL FORGET THE WHOLE MATTER; GIVE THEM INFO ON OTHER PHREAKS, BOARDS, ETC.; OR PERSECUTE YOU ON THE FEDERAL RAP OF THEFT OF COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES, WHICH CARRIES FINES OF UP TO 10 YEARS IN JAIL AND/OR $10,000. THEY USUALLY DON'T GO FOR LEGAL ACTION FIRST, THOUGH.
WHY DOES BELL HELP THEIR COMPETITION?
ACTUALLY, IT IS RATHER SIMPLE. PEOPLE WERE USING SPRINT TO BREAK INTO BELL'S ESS COMPUTERS. BELL COULD ONLY TRACE THE CALL BACK TO SPRINT. SO, SPRINT HELPS BELL CATCH THE PEOLPE IT WANTS AND VICE-VERSA. ("YOU RUB MY BACK AND I'LL RUB YOURS" TYPE OF DEAL)
BY THE WAY TRAP NUMBERS ARE ALSO HOW BELL CATCHES PEOPLE WHO MAKE HARRASING PHONE CALLS TO PRIVATE RESIDENCES.
FINALLY, DO NOT FORGET THAT THESE SERVICES HAVE A COPY OF THE NUMBER THAT YOU CALLED. SO, IF A CUSTOMER SAYS HE DIDN'T CALL A CERTAIN #, THEY WILL USUALLY CALL UP THAT # AND TRY TO FIND OUT WHO DID CALL AT THAT TIME.
SO, TO BE SAFER ON SPC, MCI, AND OTHERS, FOLLOW THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS:
- USE A FORTRESS FONE (PAY FONE) WHENEVER POSSIBLE. ALTHOUGH, THEY HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO STAKE OUT PAY FONES. JUST DON'T USE THE SAME FONE OVER AND OVER AGAIN. IN OTHER WORDS, MOVE AROUND.
- ONLY CALL INSTITUTIONAL SWITCHBOARDS, BUSINESS THAT HAVE NO RECORD OF YOUR CALL, AND FRIENDS WHO ARE INSTANT AMNESIACS.
- TRY TO KEEP ALL CALLS UNDER 15 MINUTES WHEN POSSIBLE.
NOTE: NO SYSTEM IS TOTALLY SAFE! WHEN I CLASSIFY SOMETHING AS SAFE OR DANGEROUS, THAT IS JUST WITH RESPECT TO MY OPINION AS WELL AS THAT OF SEVERAL OTHER PHREAKS. THESE OPINIONS ARE BASED ON HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BUSTED ON THEM, WHAT TYPE OF EQUIPMENT THEY ARE USING, AND INSIDE INFORMATION. I CANNOT POSSIBLY GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL OR WILL NOT GET CAUGHT. ACTUALLY, WITH CCIS AND ESS NOTHING IS REALLY SAFE ANYMORE. BESIDES, WHAT PHUN WOULD THERE BE IN LIFE WITHOUT RISKS!
AT THIS POINT I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THE "OFFICIAL" PHREAK NEWSLETTER, TAP. TAP CONTAINS MUCH INFO ABOUT PHONE PHREAKING AND OTHER ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES. SEND A SASE FOR THEIR INFO SHEET, "WHAT THE HELL IS TAP?"
THEIR ADDRESS IS:
TAP
ROOM 603
147 WEST 42 STREET
NEW YORK, NY 10036
COMING SOON
IN PART II, WE WILL LOOK AT SPECIAL BELL NUMBERS SUCH AS CN/A, ATT NEWSLINES, LOOPS, ANI, RINGBACK, AND 99XX SCANNING.
UNTIL NEXT TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH A QUOTE FROM THE MAGICIAN:
"MANY PEOPLE THINK OF PHONE PHREAKS AS SLIME, OUT TO RIP OF BELL FOR ALL SHE IS WORTH. NOTHING COULD BE FARTHER FROM THE TRUTH! GRANTED, THERE ARE SOME WHO GET THERE KICKS JUST BY MAKING FREE CALLS, HOWEVER THEY ARE NOT TRUE PHONE PHREAKS. REAL PHONE PHREAKS ARE "TELECOMMUNICATIONS HOBBYISTS" WHO EXPERIMENT, PLAY WITH AND LEARN FROM THE PHONE SYSTEM. OCCASIONALLY THIS EXPERIMENTING, AND A NEED TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER PHREAKS (WITHOUT GOING BROKE), LEADS TO FREE CALLS. THE FREE CALLS ARE BUT A SMALL SUBSET OF A TRUE PHONE PHREAKS ACTIVITIES."
HAVE PHUN,
*****BIOC
*=$=*AGENT
*****003
NOVEMBER 15, 1983
