TAP YIPL/TAP_and_YIPL_Collection_CD.iso/PHREAK/GENERAL/CARDHACK.TXT

Text File | 2000-01-09 | 2KB | 39 lines

HI AGAIN......

I NOTICED A WHILE BACK SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT GETTING FREE TIME
ON TELEPHONE CARDS BY USING NAIL VARNISH. THIS WAS DISMISSED BY
MOST PEOPLE BUT IT GOT ME THINKING.

AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE PHONE CARD TRACK IS READ BY A LASER. AS
THE CREDITS ARE USED UP, A SECTION OF THE TRACK IS "PUNCHED" TO
RENDER IT VOID. IF YOU LOOK VERY CLOSELY AND WIGGLE THE CARD
BACK AND FORWARDS YOU CAN SEE THE MARKS LEFT BY THIS PROCESS.

NOW, IF THE NAIL VARNISH WERE OF A CLEAR TYPE, RATHER THAN
COLOURED, OR IF SOME ALTERNATE, SIMILAR SUBSTANCE WAS PAINTED
ONTO THE TRACK (MODELLERS VARNISH, PERHAPS?), THEN, ALTHOUGH THE
LASER COULD STILL READ THROUGH IT MAYBE THE VARNISH WOULD
PREVENT THE "PUNCHER" FROM MAKING CONTACT WITH THE TRACK AND
"ERASING" IT. WHAT DO YOU RECKON?

TESTS USING NAIL VARNISH AND NAIL VARNISH HARDNER HAVEN'T WORKED
AS, ALTHOUGH THE VARNISHES DID LESSEN THE PUNCHING EFFECT, THEY
DID NOT OFFER ENOUGH RESISTANCE TO STOP IT COMPLETELY. I AM NOT
SURE IF THE ERASURE EFFECT IS CAUSED BY PHYSICAL DAMAGE, SO TO
SPEAK, OR BY AN ELECTRONIC PULSE FROM THE PUNCH HEAD.

IN EITHER CASE, IF A WAY CAN BE FOUND TO KEEP THE PUNCH FROM
CONTACTING THE CARD TRACK WHILST STILL ALLOWING THE TRACK TO BE
READ THE PROBLEM IS SOLVED. THE CARD IS A VERY TIGHT FIT IN THE
SLOT SO A PIECE OF PLASTIC THICK ENOUGH TO RESIST THE PUNCH WILL
STOP THE CARD BEING INSERTED. MAYBE A CARD COULD BE SLICED OR
SANDED DOWN. MAYBE THE TRACK SECTION CAN BE SURGICALLY REMOVED
AND ATTACHED TO A THIN BUT RIGID TRANSPARENT PLASTIC PIECE.
MAYBE...!

I'LL GET BACK TO YOU WITH DEVELOPMENTS AS AND WHEN. IF YOU KNOW
ANYTHING ABOUT THIS, OR IF YOU ARE MESSING WITH THE SAME
IDEAS, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH. REGARDS, JACK PLUG AND HIS FRIEND PS.