2 Months ago I was nabbed by surprise for phreaking through a 
950. Since most  everyone who are  reading this  have, had,  or will 
engage in such  activity I thought i'd document my bust and show how I 
and others evaded the bill. Don't believe what anyone says about the 
safety of hacking/using codes today. The scene is more unpredicable than 
ever and there is no way of knowing where your number might light up.. 
Well enuf o that crap.. Here's the 
		                letter 
				      I recieved on 
    
      # Vortel Communications, INC. 
							June 10, 1990
							
      Mr. Ed Brownstone
      333 Hellcamp drive    
      SF, Ca. 11111
      
      Dear Mr. Brownstone;

      Your telephone, (xxx) xxx-xxxx, was used on May 4 and 5 to make 
      fraudulent long distance telephone calls through VORTEL
      COMMUNICATIONS, INC., a Califorina certified public utility.

      Toll Fraud is both a state and federal felony. The fraud calls were 
      made to (415) xxx-xxxx, (216) xxx-xxxx, (415) xxx-xxxx, (818) xxx-
      xxxx, and (601) 452-3918 using VORTEL's 950-XXXX access telephone
      and a stolen six digit authorization code.

      Automatic number identification equipment has identifed the specific
      calls mentioned above as coming from your telephone. You  are
      legally responsible for all calls originating from this telephone.

      The VORTEL Califorina Public Utilities Commission Tariff lists 
      the price of unauthorized calls such as yours at $3.00 for the
      first minute and $2.00 for each additional minute for both 
      completed and uncompleted calls. The total call charges are 
      $180 for 32 calls.

      Your share of the cost of the investigation undertaken by VORTEL
      in order to identify and properly bill these calls is $473.00
      
      The total cost is $653.00.

      At this time we prefer to settle this matter privately rather than 
      refer it to federal and state law enforcement agencies as a felony
      criminal case.

      Please call me at (800) xxx-xxxx by June 18 to make arrangements 
      for payment of the $653.00. 

      Cordially,

      Fred Fed,
      Toll Fraud Investigator
      
      
      
      
      If you live with your parents and have found a letter like this 
      one keep it to yourself for now. I'd recommend first calling or
      e-mailing all your friends who used the code and recieved a
      similar letter. If possible let them make the first move by 
      calling the telco. Find out all you can, do they offer payment 
      plans, do they attempt to strike bargains, how big is the co., 
      ect... Before I called here's how other people dealt with the 
      problem.
     
      1)Teenager nabbed for $1500. Dad finds letter and agrees to pay
      bill but refuses to pay 'investigation fees' citing it was all 
      recorded by computer. Telco backs down and accepts on the 
      same call.

      2)Teenager busted for $700. Agrees to payment plan. Never mailed
      a dime. Never bothered again.

      3)Crazy Maniac busted for $1200. Calls telco and says no way i'm
      gonna pay. I don't know what the hell a 950 is! Threatens to sue.
      Never bothered again even though guility of the calls. 

      4)Teenager burned for $800. Agrees to payment plan. Talks with the
      Investigator and finds out that 1)They used the 800 # with instant
      ANI to use as backup to make sure they are  dealing with right guy.
      2)The investigation fees went to him  and  a Pac Bell scan of 
      certain areas where Vortel had obtained  the partial numbers 
      of fraud users from incomplete ANI.  (Everyone was busted for 
      the same 2 days. code lasted weeks.. I don't think other companies
      use the same methods though) 3)Vortel didn't really have the money
      to take people to court and there were  too many loopholes to make
      it a successful battle. 4)If you agree to  payment you are admitting 
      guilt and cannot back down from that point.  Example number 3 used
      this info. to his advantage by calling the 800# through a 950 and
      taking his aggressive stance. 

      Well what I decided to do was just talk with the guy about how I
      really didn't know what I was getting into, refused to pay the 
      investigation fees, and offered to tell him what I knew. In exchange
      for the $180 I explained to him about wardialers (he thought we 
      stole the actual cards and spread em) and gave him a really,really,
      lame VMB.. (I advise against this. A mad phreaker/hacker is more
      dangerous than any Toll Fraud Investigator anyday) If you have to
      nark then make sure it's a VMB that hasn't been updated for weeks 
      and is run by a 12 year old leech that likes to play Poison in 
      their greeting.. In my case is was He-Man.. (If you read this 
      contact me for a free box).. After this i said good-bye and never
      heard from mr.fed again..
	 
      One last thing.. Be careful in how agressive you are in dealing 
      with the situation. If you have rich parents who are willing to
      pay the bill in exchange for you being grounded for a month or 
      two.. TAKE IT!. Toll Fraud is a Felony and convicted felons always
      to fill out those annoying extra sections on Burger  King 
      applications.. On the other hand, if your parents say the money 
      is coming outta yer ass and you feel you are being ripped off 
      in the process... ($700 for 30 phone calls?! 10 of them were busy
      signals and counted as 'uncomplete calls-$3.00).. by all means 
      do what ya can to avoid the money-grubbers.. 


						This has been quite a 
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					       /___/can415/510 production. 
					       and u can take my spelling 
			          	       errors and..