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- The Official Phreaker's Manual
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- $ | ELECTRONIC TOLL FRAUD DEVICES | $
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-
- THIS PHILE IS DESIGNED TO IDENTIFY VARIOUS KINDS OF ETF (ELECTRONIC TOLL
- FRAUD) DEVICES AND TO DESCRIBE THEIR OPERATION, ACCORDING TO A BOOKLET PUT OUT
- BY BELL ENTITLED: THE INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF ELECTRONIC TOLL FRAUD
- DEVICES. (FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY).
-
- THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT TYPES OF ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT WHICH MAY BE
- GENERALLY CLASSIFIED AS ETF DEVICES. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT IS THE "BLUE BOX".
- THE CHARACTERISTICS OF EACH TYPE OF DEVICE ARE DISCUSSED BELOW.
-
-
-
- *BLUE BOX*
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-
- THE "BLUE BOX" WAS SO NAMED BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF THE FIRST ONE FOUND. THE
- DESIGN AND HARDWARE USED IN THE BLUE BOX IS FAIRLY SOPHISTICATED, AND ITS SIZE
- VARIES FROM A LARGE PIECE OF APPARATUS TO A MINIATURIZED UNIT THAT IS
- APPROXIMATELY THE SIZE OF A "KING SIZE" PACKAGE OF CIGARETTES. THE BLUE BOX
- CONTAINS 12 OR 13 BUTTONS OR SWITCHES THAT EMIT MULTI-FREQUENCY TONES
- CHARACTERISTIC OF THE TONES USED IN THE NORMAL OPERATION OF THE TELEPHONE TOLL
- (LONG DISTANCE) SWITCHING NETWORK. THE BLUE BOX ENABLES ITS USER TO ORIGINATE
- FRAUDULENT ("FREE") TOLL CALLS BY CIRCUMVENTING TOLL BILLING EQUIPMENT. THE
- BLUE BOX MAY BE DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO A PHONE LINE, OR IT MAY BE ACOUSTICALLY
- COUPLED TO A TELEPHONE HANDSET BY PLACING THE BLUE BOX'S SPEAKER NEXT TO THE
- TRANSMITTER OR THE TELEPHONE HANDSET. THE OPERATION OF A BLUE BOX WILL BE
- DISCUSSED IN MORE DETAIL BELOW.
-
- TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF A FRAUDULENT BLUE BOX CALL, IT IS NECESSARY TO
- UNDERSTAND THE BASIC OPERATION OF THE DIRECT DISTANCE DIALING (DDD) TELEPHONE
- NETWORK. WHEN A DDD CALL IS PROPERLY ORIGINATED, THE CALLING NUMBER IS
- IDENTIFIED AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF ESTABLISHING THE CONNECTION. THIS MAY BE DONE
- EITHER AUTOMATICALLY OR, IN SOME CASES, BY AN OPERATOR ASKING THE CALLING PARTY
- FOR HIS TELEPHONE NUMBER.
- THIS INFORMATION IS ENTERED ON A TAPE IN THE AUTOMATIC MESSAGE ACCOUNTING
- (AMA) OFFICE. THIS TAPE ALSO CONTAINS THE NUMBER ASSIGNED TO THE TRUNK LINE
- OVER WHICH THE CALL IS TO BE SENT. THE INFORMATION RELATING TO THE CALL
- CONTAINED ON THE TAPE INCLUDES: CALLED NUMBER, CALLING NUMBER, TIME OF CALL.
- THE TIME OF DISCONNECT AT THE END OF THE CALL IS ALSO RECORDED.
- ALTHOUGH THE TAPE CONTAINS INFO WITH RESPECT TO MANY DIFFERENT CALLS, THE
- VARIOUS DATA ENTRIES WITH RESPECT TO A SINGLE CALL ARE EVENTUALLY CORRELATED TO
- PROVIDE BILLING INFO FOR USE BY YOUR BELL'S ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT.
- THE TYPICAL BLUE BOX USER USUALLY DIALS A NUMBER THAT WILL ROUTE THE CALL
- INTO THE TELEPHONE NETWORK WITHOUT CHARGE. FOR EXAMPLE, THE USER WILL VERY
- OFTEN CALL A WELL-KNOWN INWATS (TOLL-FREE) CUSTOMER'S NUMBER. THE BLUE BOX
- USER, AFTER GAINING THIS ACCESS TO THE NETWORK AND, IN EFFECT, "SEIZѺG"
- CONTROL AND COMPLETE DOMINION OVER THE LINE, OPERATES A KEY ON THE BLUE BOX
- WHICH EMITS A 2600 HERTZ (CYCLES PER SECOND) TONE. THIS TONE CAUSES THE
- SWITCHING EQUIPMENT TO RELEASE THE CONNECTION TO THE INWATS CUSTOMER'S LINE.
- THE 2600HZ TONE IS A SIGNAL THAT THE CALLING PARTY HAS HUNG UP. THE BLUE BOX
- SIMULATES THIS CONDITION. HOWEVER, IN FACT THE LOCAL TRUNK ON THE CALLING
- PARTY'S END IS STILL CONNECTED TO THE TOLL NETWORK. THE BLUE BOX USER NOW
- OPERATES THE "KP" (KEY PULSE) KEY ON THE BLUE BOX TO NOTIFY THE TOLL SWITCHING
- EQUIPMENT THAT SWITCHING SIGNALS ARE ABOUT TO BE EMITTED. THE USER THEN PUSHES
- THE "NUMBER" BUTTONS ON THE BLUE BOX CORRESPONDING TO THE TELEPHONE # BEING
- CALLED. AFTER DOING SO HE/SHE OPERATES THE "ST" (START) KEY TO INDICATE TO THE
- SWITCHING EQUIPMENT THAT SIGNALLING IS COMPLETE. IF THE CALL IS COMPLETED, ONLY
- THE PORTION OF THE ORIGINAL CALL PRIOR TO THE EMISSION OF 2600HZ TONE IS
- RECORDED ON THE AMA TAPE. THE TONES EMITTED BY THE BLUE BOX ARE NOT RECORDED ON
- THE AMA TAPE. THEREFORE, BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL CALL TO THE INWATS # IS
- TOLL-FREE, NO BILLING IS RENDERED IN CONNECTION WITH THE CALL.
- ALTHOUGH THE ABOVE IS A DESCRIPTION OF A TYPICAL BLUE BOX OPERATION USING A
- COMMON METHOD OF ENTRY INTO THE NETWORK, THE OPERATION OF A BLUE BOX MAY VARY
- IN ANY ONE OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING RESPECTS:
-
- (A) THE BLUE BOX MAY INCLUDE A ROTARY DIAL TO APPLY THE 2600HZ TONE AND THE
- SWITCHING SIGNALS. THIS TYPE OF BLUE BOX IS CALLED A "DIAL PULSER" OR "ROTARY
- SF" BLUE BOX.
-
- (B) ENTRANCE INTO THE DDD TOLL NETWORK MAY BE EFFECTED BY A PRETEXT CALL TO ANY
- OTHER TOLL-FREE # SUCH AS UNIVERSAL DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE (555-1212) OR ANY # IN
- THE INWATS NETWORK, EITHER INTER-STATE OR INTRA-STATE, WORKING OR NON-WORKING.
-
- (C) ENTRANCE INTO THE DDD TOLL NETWORK MAY ALSO BE IN THE FORM OF "SHORT HAUL"
- CALLING. A "SHORT HAUL" CALL IS A CALL TO ANY # WHICH WILL RESULT IN A LESSER
- AMOUNT OF TOLL CHARGES THAN THE CHARGES FOR THE CALL TO BE COMPLETED BY THE
- BLUE BOX. FOR EXAMPLE, A CALL TO BIRMINGHAM FROM ATLANTA MAY COST $.80 FOR THE
- FIRST 3 MINUTES WHILE A CALL FROM ATLANTA TO LOS ANGELES IS $1.85 FOR 3
- MINUTES. THUS, A SHORT HAUL, 3-MINUTE CALL TO BIRMINGHAM FROM ATLANTA, SWITCHED
- BY USE OF A BLUE BOX TO LOS ANGELES, WOULD RESULT IN A NET FRAUD OF $2.65 FOR A
- 3 MINUTE CALL.
-
- (D) A BLUE BOX MAY BE WIRED INTO THE TELEPHONE LINE OR ACOUSTICALLY CONNECTED
- TO THE HANDSET. THE BLUE BOX MAY EVEN BE BUILT INSIDE A REGULAR TOUCH-TONE
- PHONE, USING THE PHONE'S PUSH BUTTONS FOR THE BLUE BOX'S SIGNALLING TONES.
-
- (E) A MAGNETIC TAPE RECORDING MAY BE USED TO RECORD THE BLUE BOX TONES
- REPRESENTATIVE OF SPECIFIC PHONE #'S. SUCH A TAPE RECORDING COULD BE USED IN
- LIEU OF
- A BLUE BOX TO FRAUDULENTLY PLACE CALLS TO THE PHONE #'S RECORDED ON THE
- MAGNETIC TAPE.
-
- ALL BLUE BOXES, EXCEPT "DIAL PULSE" OR "ROTARY SF" BLUE BOXES, MUST HAVE
- THE FOLLOWING 4 COMMON OPERATING CAPABILITIES:
-
- (A) IT MUST HAVE SIGNALLING CAPABILITY IN THE FORM OF A 2600HZ TONE. THE TONE
- IS USED BY THE TOLL NETWORK TO INDICATE, EITHER BY ITS PRESENCE OR ITS ABSENCE,
- AN "ON HOOK" (IDLE) OR "OFF HOOK" (BUSY) CONDITION OF THE TRUNK.
-
- (B) THE BLUE BOX MUST HAVE A "KP" TONES THAT UNLOCKS OR READIES THE
- MULTI-FREQUENCY RECEIVER AT THE CALLED END TO RECEIVE THE TONES CORRESPONDING
- TO THE CALLED PHONE #.
-
- (C) THE TYPICAL BLUE BOX MUST BE ABLE TO EMIT MF TONES WHICH ARE USED TO
- TRANSMIT PHONE #'S OVER THE TOLL NETWORK. EACH DIGIT OF A PHONE # IS
- REPRESENTED BY A COMBINATION OF 2 TONES. FOR EXAMPLE, THE DIGIT 2 IS X-MITTED
- BY A COMBINATION OF 700HZ AND 1100HZ.
-
- (D) THE BLUE BOX MUST HAVE AN "ST" KEY WHICH CONSISTS OF A COMBINATION OF 2
- TONES THAT TELL THE EQUIPMENT AT THE CALLED END THAT ALL DIGITS HAVE BEEN SENT
- AND THAT THE EQUIPMENT SHOULD START SWITCHING THE CALL TO THE CALLED NUMBER.
-
- THE "DIAL PULSER" OR "ROTARY SF" BLUE BOX REQUIRES ONLY A DIAL WITH A
- SIGNALLING CAPABILITY TO PRODUCE A 2600HZ TONE.
-
- *BLACK BOX*
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-
- THIS ETF DEVICE IS SO-NAMED BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF THE FIRST ONE FOUND.
- IT VARIES IN SIZE AND USUALLY HAS ONE OR TWO SWITCHES OR BUTTONS. ATTACHED TO
- THE TELEPHONE LINE OF A CALLED PARTY, THE BLACK BOX PROVIDES TOLL-FREE CALLING
- *TO* THAT PARTY'S LINE. A BLACK BOX USER INFORMS OTHER PERSONS BEFOREHAND THAT
- THEY WILL NOT BE CHARGED FOR ANY CALL PLACED TO HIM. THE USER THEN OPERATES THE
- DEVICE CAUSING A "NON-CHARGE" CONDITION ("NO ANSWER" OR "DISCONNECT") TO BE
- RECORDED ON THE TELEPHONE COMPANY'S BILLING EQUIPMENT. A BLACK BOX IS
- RELATIVELY SIMPLE TO CONSTRUCT AND IS MUCH LESS SOPHISTICATED THAN A BLUE BOX.
-
- *CHEESE BOX*
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-
- ITS DESIGN MAY BE CRUDE OR VERY SOPHISTICATED. ITS SIZE VARIES; ONE WAS FOUND
- THE SIZE OF A HALF-DOLLAR. A CHEESE BOX IS USED MOST OFTEN BY BOOKMAKERS OR
- BETTERS TO PLACE WAGERS WITHOUT DETECTION FROM A REMOTE LOCATION. THE DEVICE
- INTER-CONNECTS 2 PHONE LINES, EACH HAVING DIFFERENT #'S BUT EACH TERMINATING AT
- THE SAME LOCATION. IN EFFECT, THERE ARE 2 PHONES AT THE SAME LOCATION WHICH ARE
- LINKED TOGETHER THROUGH A CHEESE BOX. IT IS USUALLY FOUND IN AN UNOCCUPIED
- APARTMENT CONNECTED TO A PHONE JACK OR CONNECTING BLOCK. THE BOOKMAKER, AT SOME
- REMOTE LOCATION, DIALS ONE OF THE NUMBERS AND STAYS ON THE LINE. VARIOUS
- BETTORS DIAL THE OTHER NUMBER BUT ARE AUTOMATICALLY CONNECTED WITH THE
- BOOKMAKER BY MEANS OF THE CHEESE BOX INTER-CONNECTION. IF, IN ADDITION TO A
- CHEESE BOX, A BLACK BOX IS INCLUDED IN THE ARRANGEMENT, THE COMBINED EQUIPMENT
- WOULD PERMIT TOLL-FREE CALLING ON EITHER LINE TO THE OTHER LINE. IF A POLICE
- RAID WERE CONDUCTED AT THE TERMINATING POINT OF THE CONVERSATIONS -THE LOCATION
- OF THE CHEESE BOX- THERE WOULD BE NO EVIDENCE OF GAMBLING ACTIVITY. THIS DEVICE
- IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY. LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN ADVISED
- THAT WHEN UNUSUAL DEVICES ARE FOUND ASSOCIATED WITH TELEPHONE CONNECTIONS THE
- PHONE COMPANY SECURITY REPRESENTATIVES SHOULD BE CONTACTED TO ASSIST IN
- IDENTIFICATION. (THIS PROBABLY WOULD BE GOOD FOR A BBS , ESPECIALLY WITH THE
- BLACK BOX SET UP. AND IF YOU EVER DECIDED TO TAKE THE BOARD DOWN, YOU WOULDN'T
- HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR PHONE #. IT ALSO MAKES IT SO YOU YOURSELF CANNOT BE TRACED.
- I AM NOT SURE ABOUT CALLING OUT FROM ONE THOUGH)
-
- *RED BOX*
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-
- THIS DEVICE IT COUPLED ACOUSTICALLY TO THE HANDSET TRANSMITTER OF A
- SINGLE-SLOT COIN TELEPHONE. THE DEVICE EMITS SIGNALS IDENTICAL TO THOSE TONES
- EMITTED WHEN COINS ARE DEPOSITED. THUS, LOCAL OR TOLL CALLS MAY BE PLACED
- WITHOUT THE ACTUAL DEPOSIT OF COINS.
-
-