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==Phrack Inc.==
Volume Three, Issue 28, File #11 of 12
PWN PWN PWN PWN PWN PWN PWN PWN PWN PWN PWN PWN PWN PWN
PWN PWN
PWN P h r a c k W o r l d N e w s PWN
PWN ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ PWN
PWN Issue XXVIII/Part 3 PWN
PWN PWN
PWN October 7, 1989 PWN
PWN PWN
PWN Created, Written, and Edited PWN
PWN by Knight Lightning PWN
PWN PWN
PWN PWN PWN PWN PWN PWN PWN PWN PWN PWN PWN PWN PWN PWN
FCC Orders Radio Station To Stop Phone Pranks August 30, 1989
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Federal Communications Commission has slapped Chicago radio
station WLUP-AM (1000) and WLUP-FM (97.9) with a $5000 fine and
threatened to pull their license for illegally broadcasting phone
calls to "unsuspecting individuals."
The FCC specifically cited "willful behavior and repeated
violations of its policy that recipients of phone calls from
radio stations must be informed in advance -- and on the air at
the start of the call -- that they are being broadcast."
In particular, the FCC noted that morning host Jonathon
Brandmeier and mid-day host Kevin Matthews were in frequent
violation of this rule.
Scott G. Ginsberg, president and chief executive officer of
Evergreen Media Corporation, parent company and license holder
for WLUP confirmed that his company had paid the $5000 fine
without protest for illegally broadcasting phone calls. He
compared this punishment to receiving a traffic ticket.
Both Brandmeier and Matthews enjoy harassing people on the phone,
and broadcasting the reaction of their victims over the air. One
of the calls placed by Matthews involved him posing as a police
officer. He called a funeral home and spoke to the widow of a
man who died the day before. He told her that her niece and
nephew, who were scheduled to come to the funeral home later that
day to help with burial arrangements had been arrested. The
widow was not amused. She filed suit against WLUP and Matthews.
Brandmeier likes to harass celebrities by managing to find their
unlisted home phone numbers and call them at 6:30 or 7:00 AM when
his show goes on the air. He also pulls phone scams including
sending unwanted food orders; calling employers to provide
excuses for employees who won't be at work that day, and similar.
Always broadcasting the calls on the air, of course.
But it was the call to the grieving widow at the funeral home
which got the FCC livid. The Commission contacted the station
that day, and an Enforcement Officer threatened to put the
station off the air that day -- in a matter of minutes when he
could get the order signed.
After some discussion, WLUP was permitted to continue
broadcasting, but a memo was circulated to all employees warning
that effective immediately, any violation of the phone rules
would lead to immediate termination.
But despite this, less than three months later, Brandmeier pulled
another of his obnoxious phone pranks. This time, the FCC gave
him personally a $5000 fine, and told WLUP "either keep those two
under control on the air or you'll get your license yanked."
Now WLUP faces more sanctions, and the probable non-renewal of
its license when it expires December 1, 1989. Afternoon disk
jockey Steve Dahl routinely broadcasts indecent material on his
show. Daily topics of conversation include sadism and masochism,
child molestation, sexual behavior of all sorts, and frequent
slurs of the most vicious kind against gay people. He uses
"street language" to express himself, of course, and has used the
famous "seven words you never say on the radio" more times than
anyone remembers.
The victims of the phone pranks have consulted with their own
attorney as a group, and he in turn is pressing the FCC to shut
down WLUP completely.
Ginsberg says he does not understand why the FCC is picking on
them. He says it must be competing radio stations that would
like to see them off the air, since they are rated number three
in the Chicago area, which certainly says a lot about Chicagoan's
taste in radio entertainment.
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Long time Phrack World News readers may have noticed a familiar name in this
article: Steve Dahl.
Depending on how long you have been with us, you may wish to
refer to Phrack World News Issue Five/Part One (in Phrack Inc.
Volume One, Issue Six). There is an article entitled "Mark Tabas
and Karl Marx Busted" and it is dated May 2, 1986. Along with
this article is a short note that explains how an informant
(possibly the son of an agent of the Secret Service or Federal
Bureau of Investigation) was believed to be using the handle of
Jack or Will Bell and had helped the authorities get Tabas and
Marx. It was widely known that he was from the 312 NPA --
Chicago, Illinois.
In the following issue of Phrack Inc. we have PWN Issue VI/Part 1
and an article entitled, "Marx and Tabas: The Full Story." This
article further explains how Steve Dahl was busted (for unknown
crimes) in Miami, Florida by the U.S. Secret Service and then
made a deal to help them get Karl Marx and Mark Tabas.
So is the Steve Dahl of WLUP in Chicago the same Steve Dahl from
Chicago that helped the U.S. Secret Service nail Mark Tabas and
Karl Marx?
_______________________________________________________________________________
Reach Out And Tap Someone Revisited July 30, 1989
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Phrack World News Issue XXVI/Part 2 there was an article about
two former employees of Cincinnati Bell (Leonard Gates and Robert
Draise) who claimed they had had engaged in numerous illegal taps
over a 12 year period at the request of their supervisors at
Cincinnati Bell and the Cincinnati Police Department.
Cincinnati Bell filed suit against the two men, Leonard Gates and
Robert
Draise, claiming both were liars out to get even with the company
after they had been fired for other reasons.
"'Taint necessarily so," said a judge who agreed the charges may
have some merit, and permitted the class action suit against
Cincinnati Bell to continue this past week.
The class action suit claims that Cincinnati Bell routinely
invaded the privacy of thousands of people in the area by
secretly tapping their phones at the request of police or FBI
officials over a twelve year period from 1972 - 1984. The taps
were mainly applied against political dissidents during the
Vietnam era, and in more recent years, against persons under
investigation by the United States Attorney in southern Ohio,
without the permission of a court.
Now says the court, depending on the outcome of the class action
suit, the criminal trials of everyone in the past decade in
southern Ohio may have to be re-examined in light of illegal
evidence gained by the United States Attorney, via the FBI, as a
result of the complicity of Cincinnati Bell with that agency,
courtesy of Robert Draise and Leonard Gates.
The testimony this past week got *very messy* at times. Gates
and Draise seem determined to tell every dirty thing they know
about Cincinnati Bell's security department from the dozen years
they worked there. More details as the trial continues.
_______________________________________________________________________________
The Grim Phreaker Cleared In Phone Scam June 30, 1989
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by Suzanne Getman (Syracuse Herald Journal)
"We disposed of this on the basis of his
cooperation."
A college student who talked his way into being arrested in April
(by speaking with a chat operator) was cleared of charges against
him this week. Kevin C. Ashford aka The Grim Phreaker, age 22,
was arrested by sheriff's deputies on April 21 a mere five
minutes after using a payphone to speak with an operator on the
Onadaga Community College campus and charged with theft of
services, a misdemeanor.
Ashford admitted placing about 30 calls to a party lines known as
bridges by using phony credit card numbers and extenders. "We
disposed of this on the basis of his cooperation, our problem
with proof, and his completion of 30 hours of community service,"
Assistant District Attorney Timothy Keough said. Ashford had
cooperated by assisting and providing information to the
Sheriff's Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and
the Secret Service for more than three weeks. There was no
problem with proof however because Ashford admitted he was guilty
of all of the crimes.
Ashford was arrested in Onadaga Community College campus' Gordon
Student Center on April 21, minutes after he placed a call to a
nationwide party line called Systems 800 International (who
offered to drop charges if they could receive copies of Phrack
Inc. Newsletter from him and if he would work for them trapping
others). Company officials said there is no way to establish the
cost of the fraudulent calls. "Without a dollar amount, we
didn't have proof. Without proof, we couldn't prosecute," Keough
said.
Article Submitted by DarkMage
_______________________________________________________________________________
Phony IRS Refunds By Computer August 17, 1989
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By John King (Boston Globe)
"Computer Filer Got $325,000 In Phony Refunds, IRS
claims."
Clever tax preparers are one thing, but a clever bookkeeper who
allegedly pried 325,000 dollars from the Internal Revenue Service
found himself on the wrong side of the law yesterday, August 16.
In what may be the nation's first charge of electronic tax fraud,
IRS special agents yesterday arrested Alan N. Scott of West
Roxbury [a suburb of Boston], saying he claimed 45 fraudulent
income tax refunds for amounts ranging from
3,000 dollars to 23,000 dollars.
The IRS charges that Scott, age 37, used the service's new
electronic filing system -- open only to tax preparers -- to
submit phony claims with assumed names and Social Security
numbers. In some cases, the names used were of people in prison,
according to Chief Kenneth Claunch, IRS Criminal Investigation
Division.
"The computer age has spawned a new breed of criminal," Claunch
said in a statement.
New in tools, perhaps. As for the basic idea -- filing a false
return in order to snare an unwarranted refund -- that's old hat,
admitted IRS spokeswoman Marti Melecio.
"I can't say that it's a new trick. We've had fraud cases with
paper returns," Melecio said. "The time frame is different,
though. With electronic filings, the returns come back in two or
three weeks."
According to the IRS, Scott received electronic filing status on
January 31. He did this by using a false Social Security number,
and making false statements on his application. However, the IRS
also says Scott electronically filed 10 returns where he used his
own name as a preparer, and these returns appear to be
legitimate.
The scheme was uncovered by a "questionable refund detection
team," at the IRS service center in Andover, Massachusetts.
Also, the IRS credited a tip from an unnamed Boston bank "which
reported a suspicious electronic transfer of funds to an
individual," presumably Scott.
If convicted, Scott faces a possible prison sentence and up to
250,000 dollars in fines on each of the counts of fraud.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Paris Computer Takes Law Into Its Own Hands September 6, 1989
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>From The Guardian
A crusading computer has taken the law into its own hands and
caught 41,000 Parisians on charges of murder, extortion,
prostitution, drug trafficking and other serious crimes. But the
big round-up ended in embarrassment after an admission by the
City Hall yesterday that the electronic "Batman" could not
tell the difference between a parking offense and gang warfare.
"The accused persons will be receiving letters of apology," an
official at the City Hall Treasury department said. "Instead of
receiving summons on criminal charges, they should have been sent
reminders of unpaid motoring fines in April. Somehow the
standard codes we use for automatically issued reminders got
mixed up."
The first hint of the avenging computer's self-appointed mission
to clean up the capital came at the weekend. Hundreds of
Parisians received printed letters accusing them of big crimes,
but demanding only petty fines for the major crimes of between
$50 and $150 (pounds - UK equivalent). "About 41,000 people are
involved and some of the charges are quite weird," the official
admitted. "One man has complained of being accused of dealing in
illegal veterinary products. Unfortunately, other accusations
went much further, like man-slaughter through the administration
of dangerous drugs." "There were a lot of cases of living off
immoral earnings, racketeering and murder." The official said an
inquiry had been started to see if the caped computer had a human
accomplice. So far, no one has asked the Joker if he was in
Paris last week.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Chalisti Magazine by the Chaos Computer Club
August 20, 1989
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the future, there will be an electronic magazine, published
by, and concerning the Chaos Computer Club. It is called
Chalisti and the name is derived from "Kalisti," the Goddess of
Chaos and will, hopefully, stand for creative Chaos and not for
chaotic, but, as always only time will tell.
The idea is like this...
Over the different data networks, masses of information flow. On
the Usenet it is about 100 MB/Month, on the CREN (Bitnet + CSNet)
the flow is about the same size. On top of these flows, there is
the information from national networks like Zerberus, BTX and
Geonet. Mostly, a person only gets information from one network
and that is why interesting information on data protection, data
security, alternative uses of computers, environment, university
etc. are being broadcast over only one network.
Information from the networks for the networks, but that is not
all. There should emerge a list of editors, that is spread over
a large area, and works over the nets. Information and and
opinions should be exchanged, but also further contacts will
emerge.
The first edition of Chalisti will presumably be published
mid-September. Because of this, the list of editors is
relatively small, one will publish stuff from the newest
"Datenschleuder", the MIK-magazine and the most interesting
messages from the nets that appear in the following weeks. But
as soon as the 2nd edition will appear, the content will be
different from the "Datenschleuder."
In Chalisti, copy and messages from the nets and other media
(MIK, and others) will be published as well. Articles meant
especially for the Chalisti magazine are requested and these
articles will be published with the highest priority.
The magazine will be no bigger than 100 KB/Month. In case of
doubt, articles will be kept for the forthcoming edition or for
the fall in copy in the Summer. But it is also possible, that
too few articles are being sent in, in which case the content
will be spiced with information from DS, the nets and the
MIK-magazine. In this way, a regular emerging of editions is
being secured.
The first edition is due 15th of September. The second at the
end of October. At that date, the holiday will be ended, and a
editorial and informal infrastructure will be built. From then
on, there should be an edition every month.
The editorial part will presumably be done on EARN or CREN. That
bears the advantage that quick reactions on recent messages will
be possible, as well as the possibility to talk it over at
Relay's or Galaxy Meetings, and in this way, an international
medium is available. Writers of articles or editors from other
nets can be contacted, and there shouldn't be no technical
problems in getting the job done. Especially on UUCP and
Zerberus, facilities will be created.
As ways of contacting the Editors, the following Networks are
available:
EARN/CREN - Distribution will be done over CHAMAS (107633@DOLUNI1).
There will be a board for Chalisti, as well as a CUG
for the board of Editors. Contact there will be
151133@DOLUNI1. Presumably, from the beginning of
October, the userid CHAMAINT@DOLUNI1 will be available.
UUCP/Subnet - Contacting will be possible through chalist@olis,
ccc@mcshh and through ..!tmpmbx!DOLUNI1.bitnet!151133.
UUCP/Dnet - Contacting will be possible through simon@uniol.
Distribution will proceed through this id in
dnet.general.
Zerberus - At this moment: terra@mafia and terra@chaos-hh. From
mid-September on, presumably through chalist@subetha.
BTXNet - Unknown yet.
GeoNet - mbk1:chaos-team. Time will show, whether distribution
of the magazine will be done on GeoNet.
Contacting or distribution through FidoNet and MagicNet has been planned for,
but has to be built first.
Interested people are being asked to use these addresses. For the absolute
uncontactable, there is a Snailmail address as well:
Frank Simon
12 Kennedy Street
2900 Oldenburg, FRG (West Germany)
04411/592607 (Telephone)
Greets
Terra
_______________________________________________________________________________
Computer-Based Airline Ticket Scam August 14, 1989
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Taken from the Los Angeles Times
Phoenix police arrested four people as they continued to unravel
a bogus airline ticket ring that allegedly sold millions of
dollars of stolen tickets by advertising discounted fares in
national publications. Investigators said the individuals put
together a major conspiracy by knowing how to access airline
computers to put travel itineraries in the computer system. - -
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In the interests of equal access to information for all, I have
decided to include some of the supposed deep secrets of how to
access airline computers and inset travel itineraries.
This can be done from virtually any telephone nationwide
(including a rotary dial telephone). This can of course also be
done from a public payphone if you should decide to make sure
your identity is anonymous.
It is necessary to determine the phone number for an airline's
computer. All you have to do is call 1-800 directory assistance
(1-800-555-1212). Ask for Ozark Airlines reservations (a no
longer existent company that was purchased by Trans World Airways
[TWA] used here only as an example). The operators on duty will
read you a number, 800-PRE-SUFF.
Call this number and you will be connected with the Ozark
Airlines reservation office. Here they will have a database
which stores all of Ozark's itineraries. Simply state the date,
flight number, departure and destination cities, and passenger
name. It's that easy! You can later dial the same access number
and cancel or modify your itineraries. The system even includes
search functions if you don't know the flight number, and an
extensive help system (just say "How do I make a reservation?").
_______________________________________________________________________________
Fighting Back Against Junk Calls September 4, 1989
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "We are not Pavlov's dogs and
should not have to jump everytime a bell rings."
And if we do hop to the phone on demand, we ought to be paid for
it, says Bulmash, president of Private Citizen, Inc., a
Warrenville, IL organization designed to prevent what Bulmash
describes as "junk calls" from telemarketers.
We deserve at least a C-note -- $100, he says.
Twice a year, Bulmash, age 43, a paralegal by trade, mails a
directory of people who don't wish to have telephone solicitors
call them to 600 telemarketing firms. Along with the
directories, he sends a contract which states that the people
listed will listen to the solicitors only in exchange for $100.
If the solicitors call, the contract says, the telemarketing
company owes the listener $100. It's for "use of private
property -- the phone, your ear, your time," says Bulmash.
Subscribers, now numbering about 1000, pay $15 per year to be
listed in the
Private Citizen directory.
While Bulmash doesn't guarantee you won't be called, he does
offer some success stories. He says subscribers have collected
anywhere from $5 - $92 from telemarketing companies. He offers a
money-back deal for those subscribers not completely satisfied.
He says only one person has taken him up on it.
"You can tell those companies 500 times over the phone not to
call and they won't listen," Bulmash says. "But when you
threaten them with charging them for your time, that gets their
attention."
Bulmash, who began Private Citizen in May, 1988, says
telemarketers have the attitude of "we're big business, so you
just hang up the phone if you don't like us. I say we have a
right to be left alone in the first place, at least in our
homes." Typically, a telemarketing call to a home has less than
a 3 percent success rate, he said, with the other 97 percent of
us -- and we know who we are -- being unnecessarily
inconvenienced.
Bulmash says he has testified before Illinois and California
state legislative committees and has lobbied state and federal
lawmakers for relief from telemarketers. He teaches the members
of his organization how to bill for their time, and in many
cases, make the charges stick and get payment for "the use of
their time, ear and phone."
For more information on Private Citizen, contact Bulmash at
312-393-1555.
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Banned in Boston -- Telemarketer Gets Sued! September 14, 1989
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alan Schlesinger's stock in trade is suing people. But you might
say his stock is too hot to handle at Merrill Lynch these days.
A Boston lawyer who hates telephone solicitors, Schlesinger sued
Merrill Lynch after the brokerage firm ignored "repeated
requests" to quit calling him with investment proposals.
To Merrill Lynch's surprise, he won an injunction. Indeed, he
sued them twice and won both times. The second time was after an
unwitting broker called him in violation of the court order
prohibiting it.
"This is something that bothers a lot of people, but they don't
have the sense they can do something about it," said Schlesinger,
whose best retort is a tort, it would seem. In the second suit,
the court awarded him $300, for the costs of his prosecution of
the matter and for his time spent on the phone with the brokerage
house's phone room.
"He is using an atom bomb to deal with a gnat," said William
Fitzpatrick, chief lawyer for the Securities Industry
Association, faulting Schlesinger for doing what comes naturally
for an attorney: "Being a lawyer myself, I can only guess he
doesn't have enough brains to just hang up the phone."
______________________________________________________________________