Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!iuvax!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request
From: rsiatl!jgd@gatech.edu (John G. De Armond)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Calling Card Numbers (was Re: Sprint Stuff)
Message-ID: <3450@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 1 Feb 90 19:45:17 GMT
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Reply-To: "John G. De Armond" <rsiatl!jgd@gatech.edu>
Organization: Radiation Systems, Inc. (a thinktank, motorcycle, car and
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 70, message 4 of 10


In article <3386@accuvax.nwu.edu> comcon!roy@uunet.uu.net (Roy M. Silvernail) 
writes:

>> Another interesting fact concerns the insecurity of PINs.  We already
>> know that the last digit is computed.  On most AT&T/BOC cards, the PIN
>> starts with a "2".  

>Alaska PINs don't seem to start with '2', and both of my 4-digit PINs
>have different beginning digits.

I've gotten several comments on this subject.  My comments regarding
the pin starting with "2" is as a result of looking at perhaps 50,000
transactions in the 1988 timeframe.  The AOS I was contracted to
served primarily Georgia and Tennessee.  The overwhelming majority of
pins from this area started with "2".  I'd like to think that the fact
that peoples' pins are different now means that someone woke up and
realized the exposure.

>Does this mean that if I were to compute a 'logically correct'
>14-digit CC number, I could slip it by the AOS sleazeballs? (not that
>I'm planning it, but.....:-)

Yep, sure does.  At least with the AOS operators I'm familiar with,
they do NOT rent a subscriber database from a carrier or access it.
The trick that some have used of placing a test call to AT&T is now
clearly not permitted so the algorithm verification is probably all
they do.


John De Armond, WD4OQC  | We can no more blame our loss of freedom on congress-
Radiation Systems, Inc. | men than we can prostitution on pimps.  Both simply
Atlanta, Ga             | provide broker services for their customers.
emory!rsiatl!jgd        |  - Dr. W Williams |                **I am the NRA**