Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: Dave Brightbill Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: COCOT Scam Message-ID: <2594@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 4 Jan 90 19:17:07 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Organization: TELECOM Digest Lines: 15 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 6, message 1 of 8 I just had an amazing conversation with a PSC (state utility regulation) person about COCOT's in Florida (which, for some strange reason, they call "PADS"). I was calling to bitch about a pay phone with evil alignment and we got to talking about some of the newer COCOT scams which they are currently investigating. There is a guy who is selling installed COCOT's to folks who want to immigrate to this country and need an excuse. The deal is that he sells a phone for around $50,000. The buyer now owns a business in Florida and under US immigration law, can enter the US to attend to his business affairs without having to have a green card. I also learned that COCOTs are a fav of folks with large clumps of cash to launder. They put in a phone and report huge takes in the coin box. Sort of like the vending machine business used to be.