Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!husc6!think!ames!sdcsvax!ucbvax!WESLEYAN.BITNET!S.D-REUBEN%KLA.WESLYN From: S.D-REUBEN%KLA.WESLYN@WESLEYAN.BITNET (Doug Reuben) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Cellular Fraud Message-ID: <12304857598.17.S.D-REUBEN@KLA.WESLYN> Date: Sun, 24-May-87 03:21:33 EDT Article-I.D.: KLA.12304857598.17.S.D-REUBEN Posted: Sun May 24 03:21:33 1987 Date-Received: Mon, 1-Jun-87 06:43:43 EDT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Distribution: world Organization: The ARPA Internet Lines: 79 Approved: telecom@buit1.bu.edu Well, although Cellular is "untraceable" in the same way that regular phones are, it still is not the ideal system to commit toll fraud on. >From what I understand about how the cellular system works, a new subscriber is assigned a phone number, and then given a 4 digit code that is unique to his cellular phone. Thus, the chip that is placed into a cell phone to identify it may have a # like this: 212-909-1234-5555. The 5555 is the 4 digit ID code, very much like the PIN number on Bell System Calling Cards. When you request service, you have to have your number "turned on" at the Cellular Company. And, like a calling card, the Cell Co. checks to see if the special ID # matches before it puts the call through (It checks a lot of other things too, like signal strength and stuff, but that's not important now...). So in order for someone to make free calls, he has to know an active number, and then go to the dealer who sold the phone with that number and ask the dealer what the ID number is. If the dealer is unscrupulous, he will give out the ID number, and THEN you can make free calls. However, in no more than a month, if the customer finds that there are a lot of calls which he did not make, he can call the Cell. Co. and demand that they remove the calls from his bill. The Cell. Co. will also change the ID number, and if they are smart will check out the Cellular phone dealer to see if he gave away the ID code to that specific number. So what free Cellular service will get you is at best a month's worth of calls, and that's about it. Also, you will have to go to different dealers all the time, since if it happened with the same dealer a lot the Cell Co. might investigate the Cellular phone dealer. Also, you would have to change your number every month if you wanted people to call you. Stolen Bell Cards work the same way, although faster. If you steal a Bell System Calling Card, and you use it a lot, the local Bell Company (or, heaven forbid, the GTE company if you can manage to use a calling card there! :-) ) will call the paying customer and ask "did you make 300 calls today?". Usually, the customer says no, so they just cancel the card and issue a new PIN number to the customer, usually right away. (The system to assign PIN numbers is almost instantaneous, it seems. The minute they assign you a PIN # you can use it!). Assuming the free calls were made from a payphone, the Bell Co. will still call the destination numbers to see if anyone knows who called them, in hopes of catching the person. If they get enough people to say "Sure, I know Mr. so-and-so", then they may go after the person who stole the card. The point is that Bell Calling Cards have a built in safety system to protect against fraud. (The alternates don't have anything quite as sophisticated...). It would not be very hard to put a similar "excessive use" system of cellular phones. Thus, if cell fraud becomes pervasive, it should be a relatively simple manner to end it, and thus Cell Fraud is really not much better than the standard stuff people do at payphones. Also, Bell System Calling Cards can be used as frequently as you like. The normal "warning" occurs if you have more that 30 calls in 3 hours (or is it 36?). However, if you use your Bell Card a lot (like I do), then you can ask your local Bell Co. to put a little note on your account that you are a heavy user of the card. That way, if you make more than 30 calls in 3 hours (or whatever), you don't get the card turned off. This is VERY convenient if you are away from home and don't want to worry about how many calls you make. Basically then, the people who designed the Cellular System were smart, and they made sure you can't cheat it too easily or too long. Seeing how easy it is for them to stop Calling Card fraud, I see no reason why with the Cellular system set up the way it is that they can't prevent Cell fraud as well... (I'm sure I made a few mistakes there, so any corrections are welcome...) Well, that's my two cents worth! - -Doug REUBEN@WESLYN.BITNET S.D-REUBEN%KLA.WESLYN%WESLEYAN.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA ...seismo!weslyn.bitnet!reuben (UUCP) -------