40hex nº5:(40HEX-5.001):17/02/1992 << Back To 40hex nº 5
40Hex Number 5 Volume 2 Issue 1 File 001 Instigator --- Busted! At 2:40 pm EST, Jan 20, '92 a local cop pulled Instigator (me) out of my very entertaining Social Studies class and informed me he, 1 other local cop and 2 MCI phone fraud investigators were gonna serve a warrant on my house and confiscate my computer shit. So the cop takes me to my house and they start disassembling all of my computer stuff, and take all of my notes and shit. They filmed all this. They informed me I would be charged with theft of services, credit card fraud and a bunch of other shit, like 3 felonys and 5 misdimeanors till they were done. Anyways its about a week and a half after the incident now and they only formally charged me with theft of services. So the worst that is gonna happen is I will get 1 year of probation. The best thing is they are thinking of only giving me a citation or totally dropping the charges. I am suppose to get my system back after the DA comes to my house so I can show him how I did it. As for Digital Warfare I wanna give to someone to set up. Anyway I made it to the front page of 3 local newspapers so here is one of the articles: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Shit inside the ***( )*** are my comments) From the front page of the Intelligencer Journal 2 "Hackers" caught stealing phone service Using sophisticated computers and telephones, two Lancaster County computer hackers touched MCI, a Washington-based telephone communications network, for approximately $4,700 last year. ***( Sophisticated phones? )*** Their activities represent "only the tip of the iceberg" of telecommunications fraud, which carries an annual $1 billion to $1.5 billion price tag, according to John Houser, a MCI spokesman. ***( Dick )*** The two are accused of accessing MCI's computer and obtaining "25 card numbers, thet we know about," Houser said. "We know they made calls all over the United Sates, to Canada, Great Britain, and West Germany" "None of the card numbers have been issued to Lancaster subscribers," Houser said. Columbia police are charging an 18 year old borough resident with credit card fraud, unlawful use of a computer, theft of services, and criminal conspiracy according to Sgt. C. Joseph Smith. Police are withholding his identity until he is formally charged, Smith said. West Donegal Township chief Charles R. Bronte said a fifteen year old suspect ***( that's me! )*** living in his jurisdiction was being refered to juvenile authorities by the department investigator, Cpl. Kenton Whitebread. Officers with both departments said this was an entirely new kind of criminal case for them. "I'm still going over our suspectes statement," said Smith, "and even when I'm done, I don't think I'm going to understand (all the technical jargon). We're getting a lot of help from MCI." "If our juvenile hadn't cooperated, it's possible we'd still be looking at his equipment", Bronte said. "He went into the computer, using his access codes," ***( He means I logged on my board )*** " to retrieve the information necessary to continue the investigation". Police confiscated computer telephone equipment, whose value is estimated ***( Estimated - Gimme a break!)*** in the thousands of dollars, when they executed search warrants at the residences of both suspects, Jan. 20. "It was a real United Nations collection," said Bronte, "There were a number of different manufacturers" of the equipment taken in West Donegal. ***( United Nations collection? )*** Most of the equipment taken in Columbia was made by Tandy, Smith said. Both posessed programs and equipment which allowed their computers to generate thousands of random numbers. Houser said that once an individual had knowledge of MCI's calling card format "they could access our computer switching equipment, and begin generating random numbers. ***( they make it sound so technical )*** They could allow their equipment to run 24 hours a day." Houser declined discussing the company security, but acknowledged "We became aware of an unusual number of calls coming into our computer line. We eventually were able to trace those calls back to the originating telephone equipment." ***( ANI )*** Bronte said MCI investigators arrived at his department early Monday afternoon. The warrant was executed at 2 pm, Bronte said. "We took investigators to the suspects home, while Cpl. Whitebread picked up the boy at his school. Smith said the Columbia warrant was served at 5:18pm on Monday. The suspect and another individual were working on his computer at the time. "They weren't doing anything illegal," he said. Smith said MCI first became aware of the two local hackers "about Dec. 14". They were monitoring them since." The officers said they did not believe either of the two profited from their activities. ***( Free Phone calls! )*** "I think it was just a case of him getting involved in someting that was entirely over his head, Bronte said. ***( Yeah, right )*** Houser said MCI's investigation was continuing. "We have reason to believe they shared some of their information with others," he said. "At this time I can tell you we have no other suspects in Pennsylvania, but that could change tomorrow." He said investigators were unsure at present if any of the computer data had been transmitted to other hackers. ***( They said one paragraph up that they thought we shared some of the information.. Duh )*** ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Update -- ------ Here is the current casualties on the 476-9696 system, which is owned by TeleConnect, a subsidiary of MCI. Instigator ----- $1970.70 ----- Theft of Services(1 Count) Asphi ----- $2700.00 ----- Unlawful Use of Computer Credit Card Fraud Theft Of Services Criminal Conspiracy Dekion ----- UNKNOWN ----- UNKNOWN Count Zero ----- $83.63 ----- No Charges Just Billed (*) VenoM ----- $75.00 ----- No Charges Just Billed (*) Apparently the head of the operations is Terry Oakes. He is the phone Fraud investigator in charge of the TeleConnect Investigations. Give him a ring at 800-476-1234 Ext. 3045. Thank you. (*) In both cases parents were notified. -)GHeap