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From: dave@westmark.westmark.com (Dave Levenson)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Answering Machine as Room Bug
Message-ID: <12408@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 21 Sep 90 03:51:31 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 664, Message 9 of 13


In article <12341@accuvax.nwu.edu>, wilkins@jarthur.claremont.edu
(Mark Wilkins) writes:

> This individual, who wants to remain anonymous for obvious reasons,
> received an extremely odd call on her answering machine at home.  A
> rather mercenary discussion between two college students was recorded,
> in which they described such matters as exchanging various social
> favors in return for finding each other jobs.

[What followed was a description of an answering machine's having
recorded a conversation between two parties, neither of whom was the
owner of the answering machine, but they conversed about the owner.]

I think I can explain how the recording came to be made.  One of the
parties had called the owner of the answering machine, and reached the
machine.  The caller, having decided not to leave a message, hung up
for a moment, and then called the other party.  The caller, however,
was calling from a line with three-way calling, or from behind a PBX
with three-way calling.  The hang-up was not long enough to disconnect
the call, but resulted in a transfer dialtone.  The caller then dialed
the other party.  At this point, we have a consultation call.  The
caller is conversing with the second party, while the answering
machine is on hold.  The caller, perhaps thinking it was taking too
long to connect with the called party, hangs up again, picks up to
re-dial, but hears the far end answer.  At this point, we have a
conference call involving the two parties and the answering machine.
By now, the machine has finished its announcement, and is recording a
message -- the conversation between the other parties.

I have come upon this scenario before, while attempting to debug what
was originally reported as a faulty voice-mail system.


Dave Levenson			Voice: 908 647 0900  Fax: 908 647 6857
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