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 ____ / / \ \ /___/can415/510 production. and u can take my spelling errors and..