Ocean County Phone Punx Presents OCPP02 June 26, 1997 Contents Intro-Mohawk Scammer’s Handbook-Mohawk Examples of Scams-Mohawk 950 numbers-Mr. Seuss Slough of Despair-Checkmate Key Components of the Digital Switch-Mohawk Lineman Scams-Phear Intro - Mohawk Well I guess were an official zine now. I want to thank everyone who has helped us and everyone who has emailed us saying how much we helped them. Keep the mail commin. This issue’s main focus is on scams. The issues will come out the 26th of every other month until the zine gets to big and it needs to be released monthly. Scammer’s Handbook - the do’s and don’ts of scamming - Mohawk When scamming there are certain rules you should follow so that you don’t get busted. These "do’s and don’ts should help you. People that shouldn’t scam -If your stupid don’t scam. In order to keep yourself out of jail you have to be smart. -If you can’t lie good. Not only do you need to be able to lie good, you have to be able to lie in an instant. -If you have a criminal record. If you’ve never been in trouble before the police, storeowner, whoever will most likely believe your story. Also, the judge will let you go on probation if someone presses charges against you. -Little kids. No body believes little kids and everyone suspects them. Do’s -Keep your mouth shut. When you pull off a scam, don’t tell anyone. People love to tell all their friends about how you ripped off a store. Also, if they ever wanted to they could hold it against you if you ever piss them off. -Read the news paper. Check out the police report published in your local paper. Try to read this as much as possible. Look for people pulling off scams and people getting caught scamming or stealing. This will tell you what stores have a lot of security and which scams not to do. You can also get ideas for scams and learn form other people’s mistakes. -Pay attention. When your at a store or where ever try to pay attention to the way people work, the store’s return policies, and the intelligence of the employees. If you do this, you can spot the potential for a great scam. -Learn the store policy. Go to a store an ask them about their return policy. See if you can spot any loop holes in it. -Think. Give your scam some thought. Run it through your mind over and over again. Maybe you can perfect it, maybe you’ll realize that it’s very risky. -Plan ahead. Plan for the worst possible situation. If you get caught, what are you gonna do or say? -Get a friend to help. You’ll need a good friend to help you. Make sure you have something on him just incase he ever want’s to bust you. -Start small and work your way up. Start with something small like a free soda not a free computer. -Look different. When you try to scam something, look different than you normally do. Wear your hair a certain way, wear glasses, and put on clothes that you don’t normally where. A hat works good too. -Be Patient. Some scams take time. Don’t expect the scam to pay off right away. -Use Cash. You have to spend money to make money so make sure you use cash and not a check or credit card. If the store catches on to you, they’ll have all the info they need to find out where you live. Don’ts -Don’t get greedy. This is a way a lot of people get caught, they find a great way to get something for free and they do it over and over again. Every store will eventually catch on to your scam. It may take a day or a year but they will catch on. Quit while your ahead. -Never admit to anything. If you do get caught never admit it. Deny everything for as long as you have to. -Don’t scam your work. Stores suspect their employees more than they suspect their customers. Use your work to learn about scams but never do them there. -Don’t go back to the place that you scammed right away. If you scammed something really big never go back there. They might still be lookin for you. -Don’t go back to a chain store. If you scammed a chain store such as 7-11 or Mc Donalds, stay away from all of them in your area for a while. When a chain store even thinks that they got scammed, they send faxes out to the main office who then fax all the stores in the area describing what the people looked like and what they did in hopes of catching them. -Don’t scam a lot of things in a small period of time. After you scam something big, lay low for about a month or two to make sure that you really got away with it. This way if you do get busted your excuse will look better. If you have to go to court the judge will give you a much lighter sentence since it’s a one time thing. If you scammed 5 computers from 5 different stores in less than 2 months your excuse won’t hold up at all and the judge will give you a much heavier sentence. -Don’t think your Scam Master J cuz I am. If your not careful you will be caught. Never get over confident and think that you will always get away with your scams. Examples of Scams Easter Candy Get one of those easter candy order forms from school or wherever you can get it from. Go around to an old age community if you have one by you. Tell them that you are selling candy for school and that all the money is going to help save the school's sports because tax cuts have threatened to eliminate all of scholastic activities. (Oh no not that what are all the dumb jox going to do?) They we be more than gladly to help because you seem trustworthy. Only accept cash because you'll get busted if you try to cash their checks. If they get pissed about that tell them it is school policy to only accept cash because they got to many bad checks. If they still won't give you cash, thank them for their time and remind them that because of them there we be no sports and therefore nothing to keep you out of trouble and that you will harass them constantly for the next ten years. Walk-A-Thons No old age homes? Have no fear! Don't you hate when people ask you to contribute to them walk-a-thon things, well now you too will be annoying, but rich. You can either get a form from a real walk-a-thon and use that or you can make your own. I suggest getting real forms and then photo copying the hell out of them. Now go around to every one you know and ask them to pledge for you. You can even get desperate and put a picture of a deformed kid on there and say it is your brother. Some colleges say that you have to participate in order to get in so you can even throw a college name up top and say you need to get enough pledges in order to get accepted. Free Electronics Attention customers free walkmans in isle 6! This scam works in most big department stores but it all depends on the layout of the store and the stores security. The electronics department is usually pretty busy, but if it isn't come back when it is. First go to a different department and get a bag, make sure it is a normal store bag. Go over to electronics and pick up a walkman and carry it over to the register and ask for a refund. They will ask for a receipt and of course you don't have it so say you don't have one. They will either say you can exchange it for the same one or they will day that there is nothing they can do and then you say oh shit I guess I am stuck with this and I have to keep it. Put it in the bag and walk out. Presto new walkman. Computer Upgrades You should have a friend help you with this one because if you get caught you can't talk you're way out of it. Go to a computer or electronics store and buy something like a graphics card or anything really good and expensive. Don't open it, just leave it in your car. The next day wait on line with just a receipt. Have your friend go over and get the exact same thing off the shelves and then he comes over to you and hands you it and you car keys to make it look like he got it out of your car. Make sure you do this in front of an employee at the register. Tell them you want you to return it and they will call you a dumbass and tell you to go over to customer service down yonder. Go over there tell them your computer blew up and you wanna return this and get your money back. They give you your money back and you still have the the first one you bought in your car. There ya go free computer upgrades. Fast food places Fast food places are just waiting to be scammed. There are so many ways to scam them it’s amazing they stay in business. In a place that has free refills get a cup off a table and take it to the counter. Ask them for another cup because yours is dirty. They won’t hesitate to give you a new one. When you’re done with the cup keep it and bring it back next time you come. You’ll never have to pay for another drink again. Call them up and say they screwed up your order. Be really bitchy about it. They will offer you a free meal to replace what they screwed up. It helps if you say the employees were very rude to you. You can also call them up and say they forgot something that you paid for, like fries or something. In places that don’t have free refills get another cup off another table and fill it with a little soda if there’s none in there. Fill the rest of the cup up with water. Go to the register and say that the soda is really watered down. They’ll give you a new soda. Don’t have enough money for a bacon cheeseburger? Order a hamburger and two minutes later go back to the counter and say they forgot the bacon and cheese. They give you a nice hot bacon cheese burger. You’re not getting it for free but you’re savin a dollar. Gas Station Fun (thanks to the ASSASIN for this part on gas stations) If you work at a gas station there are a lot of ways to make some extra money. After you empty a few quarts of oil in someone’s car keep a few empty ones on the shelf and make them look like they’ve never been opened. When some one asks you to put 3 or more quarts in their engine put in 2 full and pretend you’re putting in the empty one. Make sure you do this only when they ask for 3 or more because if someone’s oil light is on and it is still on after you put in a quart they will get suspicious. When someone gives their gas card don’t give it back. Most of the time they will forget to ask for it. The next time someone says ten regular put it on the gas card you stole and keep the ten dollars. Do this until the gas card is maxed out. Whole sale Another way to get stuff for cheap is to pretend that you are a real company. Look in magazines for ads that say wholesale orders only or something like that. If you don’t see these ads call up places and ask them if they have a wholesale order line. Call up and make up a fake company name. Tell them the last company you ordered through really screwed you over and you just want to try out this company first and that you’re gonna order in small quantities for a while. Tell them you will evaluate their service first and if they do good, you will order a lot from them and that you will tell you’re friends about them too. Eventually they might keep calling you and asking you to order. If that happens make up some crap like your business is closed, it moved, or you have already ordered from them under a different company name because you have more than one company. Movie theater Buy a movie ticket. Go in and get it ripped and them head for the bathroom. Stay there for a minute and then walk back out. Go outside and give your friend the ticket stub. Walk back in and go to the bathroom again. They won’t ask you for your ticket because they just saw you 2 minutes ago. Then your friend walks in and shows them his ticket. He meets you in the bathroom and then you 2 go and enjoy the movie. If they ask you for your ticket pretend like your looking for it and then after 2 minutes of frantically searching tell them you don’t have it. Bitch at them and then they will let you go. It is important you go right to the bathroom first because sometimes they watch you and if your in the bathroom they will forget about you. If you want to do the scam by yourself buy a ticket and fold it in half. Flash it past the guy collecting the tickets. He will think that your ticket has already been ripped. When the movie is over go back to the window and ask for your money back. Say you couldn’t see the movie. You’ll have to fill out a form and you’ll have your cash back. Free Magazines Have your friend go into a convenience store and put a magazine into the middle of a newspaper. Make sure you both have it work out before hand. Have him leave and then you walk in. Pick up the newspaper with the magazine in it walk up to the register. Don’t wait on line, just drop the money one the counter and say you just got a paper and walk out. You just bought a magazine and a newspaper for 50 cents. Free Playstation games If you have a playstation you better stop paying for games. Find a store with a good return policy, something like you can get your money back up to ten days of your purchase. Buy the game and after 9 days save it on your memory card. Bring it back to the store and get your money back. The next day go back and buy it again. Repeat the process until you beat the game. Free stuff in the mail This one is easy. Call up a place and order something or wait for a place to call you and ask you if you want them to send you something. This is one of the only times where you should use your credit card. When it comes keep it but don’t open it yet just incase. Now UPS has electronic shipping and when you sign it, they have your signature on thier computer, so if they ask you to sign something just shut the door. When it shows up on your credit card call them up and bitch at them. Act really pissed. Say you never ordered anything and you never got anything. Make sure you didn’t sign for it when it came. Tell them that some evil hackers are out to make your life a living hell and this is just another one of those times. If worse comes to worse just send it back to them. It is the law that if anyone sends you something in the mail you didn’t order you have the right to keep it. Free admission Find a place like a county fair, carnival or anyplace that stamps your hand so that they know you paid to get in. Find out the color of the stamp and get a marker of the same color. Try to draw the stamp on your hand the best you can. Now wet your hand and smear it around really good. When you go back in show your stamp and act really suprised that it’s smeared. Say you washed your hands. They’ll let you in no problem. Collectin for baseball Break out your old baseball, football or whatever uniform and go stand in front of a convenience store with a cup. If you don’t have a uniform go to a consignment shop and buy one. Open and hold the door for people as they leave. On your cup or jar write something like save our sports. Tell people that your raising money to keep sports in your school because the budget cuts can’t support them. You can do this at a lot of different stores. This scam may sound like begging but you’d be amazed at how many people put 1 and 5 dollar bills in the jar. Kids do this all the time where I work and they make 1000's in a weekend. Insurance for your car This is a very risky scam and you should never so this. This is here for you to learn as all these scams are. Well if you have a pretty shitty car and you know it’s gonna die soon why not get some money for it. Make sure you have good insurance that covers collision. You need a friend for this. Drive down a highway in your car and have your friend drive next to you. Wait till someone gets on your ass, you won’t have to wait long. Then give your friend a signal and have him drive in front of you and cut you off. You then hit your breaks and the car behind you rams your ass. Your friend drives away and you couldn’t catch the license plate. The person that hit you has to pay for your car because it is all his fault. You then collect the insurance for your car because it is totaled. These scams are here for you to learn to protect yourself from being scammed. You should not try these anywhere. In future issues we will have more scams. 950 numbers-Mr.Seuss In conjunction with the Seuss Labs Crew Introduction 950 numbers (also known as Feature Group B), provide voice quality toll-free phone access to a variety of end users (typically IECs). FGB is either in the (old) format of 950-1xxx or the (current) format of 950-xxxx. It's the last 4 digits (called the carrier identification codes) that make 950 numbers unique. CICs are assigned by Bellcore. The big reason why 950 numbers aren't a more popular option for toll free service is that specific number can't always be reached. The rigorous hardware requirements for 950 service also stifle their popularity. Routing and hardware FGB trunking is a complex matter. Toll offices that allow FGB access have a bank of trunks running directly to the subscriber. As soon as you dial the prefix 950, you are first routed through the toll network over either common transport trunks, specific 950 trunks, or the most common option, FGD tandems, and then to the office serving that number. From there, you are then connected to that number's private trunk group. The most common method for outgoing calls is to have the subscriber MF into an access tandem (assuming that MF trunks are in use), and then have the tandem office complete the call. There are a handful of hardware requirements for supporting FGB. The following is required at the customer's premise: A bank of trunks running from their hardware to the toll office A time division multiplexer (TDM) to multiplex and demultiplex the trunk group. Equipment to place outgoing calls (typically MFing hardware). An ANI controller to dechiper ANI impulses. Features and options 950s can be configured in a variety of ways. External features controlling call routing, and providing fraud protection are available to the end subscriber. Answer/disconnect: 950 service provides a supervision feature at the POP, so as soon as the connection at the customer's end is lost, the call is torn down. Hunt groups: A FGB trunk can be terminated in a hunt group (like a WATS line), provided a leased line is run between the customer and the CO. The line being the only way to provide sufficient bandwidth to terminate multiple voice channels. Extended outlets: Theoretically, a 950 number can terminate in an extended outlet like a WATS extender. Special routing (like point of origin, time, etc.): MF signaling: Yes, MF signaling is still used on certain FGB trunks. Don’t get any funny ideas about blueboxing off these numbers, in the usual fashion anyway. However, it *might* still be possible to bluebox here. If you were to tap into a trunk where it joins the subscriber's hardware, you could theoretically seize a trunk and MF calls just like you were the subscriber's equipment. As you're backwards on the trunk, *forward* audio mute will not apply. What’s out there? So what exists in this big, bad realm? Some pretty nifty stuff. Direct lines to many long distance companies, a few COs, credit card verification numbers, extended outlets, and most of all... nothing (but a switch recording telling you your call can’t be completed as dialed). SLOUGH OF DESPAIR-Checkmate A cyberpunk short story I lit my cigar as I looked out over the hazy, translucent clouds outside the reinforced window. A sense of security these windows were believed to provide, with their bullet resistance. Resistance, a strange word at best. As I took another long, sweet puff, I could feel the filter in my throat whirring to life. A fine Cuban, I thought as a rivulet of thin bluish smoke rose to the ceiling. As I looked upon the glare outside the office window, I saw the clean, dark calm of the night above. Below, through the haze, I saw the riots. The hands of millions banging at my door, clapping synchronously to a beat. All these people, mislead by a leperous campaign, only now uncovering the truths that I thought had long been beaten dead. All the reporters, the hackers and conspirators which dispersed the seed of fear into the people I had thought long ago they were done away with. Even the best cleaning teams aren't perfect, I guess. I took another puff, savoring its flavor until the taste turned sour. What a damn shame it is, I thought. What a damn shame. Key components of the digital switch-Mohawk The typical digital switch has four essential components: the central processor, the switch matrix, a range of peripherals, and input/output controllers. Central Processor The central processor controls call processing activities for example, assigning time slots and administering features such as call forwarding as well directing system-control functions, system maintenance, and the loading and downloading of software. To ensure reliability, the central processor is generally duplicated on digital switches. Each call is processed simultaneously on both processors; if the "hot" processor should develop a problem, the system automatically shifts to the standby processor without the caller noticing any interruption of service. State-of-the-art larger digital switches are increasing processing power through additional specialized processors for functions such as frame-relay data, ISDN packet handling, service control point functionality, etc.. Digital switches for smaller, rural communities often adopt alternate service access strategies that can be more easily justified for these markets. Switch matrix The switch matrix also referred to as the network handles the actual connection of calls to their destinations. The latest switching modules, such as the DMS SuperNode Enhanced Network (ENET), can process up to 64,000 channels in a single cabinet and switch wideband data as effortlessly as a voice conversation. Peripherals The typical digital switch has a range of peripheral modules to interface the range of lines and trunks coming in from the network. The peripherals convert incoming voice and data signals into the digital format used by the switch and perform some low-level call processing tasks. Typical peripherals include those that terminate lines, trunks, digital loop carriers, and maintenance trunks. Input/Output Control The input/output controller system provides access to the switch for maintenance, billing, routine operations and administration, and loading of software. Linemen Scams-phear. Well fuck, here we go. Special thanks to whoever feels like publishing this. After all without information we are all truly lost. Ever been out beige boxing and thought to yourself, "self, this rules but there has to be more".. almost as if something was missing? Well ill tell ya, its not an overwhelming urge to accept the lord as your savior. (so maybe I’m a little bitter) I was out just doing the usual beigeboxing the other night and I thought to myself. "Why should I be forced to this in the dark at night in fear of being caught?" And that’s when I realized I don’t have too, in fact neither do you. What better scam then to pretend your a lineman. Hopefully if your beigeboxing you know enough about phones to be a lineman if not you could wing it if you had too. So here's what you do. Go buy a white hardhat. Any white hardhat will do, just as long as it fits right, I mean why be uncomfortable in the midst of phreaking? Then rummage through your closet (I know, I know, I wouldn’t want to go in there either) until you find a longsleeve light blue shirt. Grab a pair of jeans too. All right now, put it all on and look in the mirror. Believe it or not you will look a whole hell of a lot like a lineman. Or at least enough for the general public to be fooled. Now what your missing are tools. No lineman's outfit is complete without tools. A utility belt isn’t a bad idea but not a necessity, I've never used one. You need a red phone, baseless of course. Preferably a lineman's handset, but those aren't always just readily available. If you want one bad enough though just swipe one out of a Bell truck. The important thing is that whatever phone you have, it's red. Remember were fooling the general public here. You also have got to have a 7/16" hex driver, preferably with a red handle but beggars can't be choosers. Hell when you swipe the phone just swipe the hex driver too. In fact, if you can, take the whole tool belt. You also need a small flashlight, poor lighting or something, you never know. All right, you've got the outfit, tools, and a need to phreak. Where to phreak at though? I mean you don’t have a big white truck with all sorts of compartments in it to make you totally legit. So you have to maintain a low profile. Always pick a spot and then park a block from it and walk there. Starting off you should hit a few houses. Places where nobody's home, at work or something. Just walk up there and open up the phonebox, act like you belong there. I guarantee no one will even question you for a minute. After you feel pretty confident move on to bigger and better phreaks. Go hit a local business or two, but go inside and tell them that you were sent from their phone company, whatever it is and that you are doing a routine check on the lines because there's been some trouble a few lines down etc.. Then go find the box, if you want, ask them to show you the phone setup in the building. This is the best way to get confident about a scam like this. Check it all out, pump them for information. Then go back to the box and make a few free calls. If your going to go this far though you should probably have a lineman's handset. Looks a lot more professional. Then move on to large apartment complexes. These are especially nice because the lines are always grouped together. At least four in each box. So now you have your method down and you feel pretty confident. What can you really do with these new amazing lineman's powers? Well you know that jerk your always pranking? Now you can go to his house and fuck his shit up in broad daylight. In fact go to the door and talk to him about his phone service for a minute or two. Ask him if he's been having trouble with the lines, so on so forth. Ask him if he minds if you come in for a minute and have a look at the phone lines in the house. Walk around and pay attention. You never know what you’ll see, potential black mail info, or maybe a bill with his ss# on it. Then explain to him that due to maintenance purposes your going to have to disconnect his line for an hour or so. Then go out to his phone box and do just that. Then go back up to the house and tell him that you have an emergency and have to go, but you'll be back in just a few minutes. Leave. Gee, did I forget to hook your shit back up? Now the next time you call him you can tell him exactly what he looks like and what his house looks like. He would probably never suspect the lineman. This would probably be the point where you're wondering if this is all just bullshit or not. Well, I'll tell ya. Or not. I have done this and it works. Just maintain a very cool composure. Never act nervous or let the "victim" think you are unsure of yourself. Never go out any later than 4:00 or so, and don't stay in any one place for more than 20 minutes. One more cardinal rule, if you see a real lineman, or a phonetruck, get the fuck out of there. As much as I hate to think about it, impersonating a lineman is a crime, and so is phone fraud so don't hang around. The linemen will know a fake when they see one. That's it. The lineman's scam can be pulled off by anyone, but don't ever forget that it is a scam, and should be done cautiously. So if your just tired of the same old beigebox routine and need a change of pace, just say fuck it. Go be a lineman, you'll thank yourself. phear Ocean County Phone Punx Copyright 1997