Big Problem Might Prbally Hacker Related

[Microdude]

well my friend has been getting this phone bills wiht like 300+$ of long distance calls on them. i look online for stuff figured i`d ask here also cause maybe you guys know somehting it might have hapened to a friend of a friend of a cosins or something. anyways.. could simply be a dialwer or something a hacker usses to coonect to his line he`s on a 56k so it`s possible.. anyways program names you guys know to detect these or soemthing thanks

 

[Lord Kalthorn]

well my friend has been getting this phone bills wiht like 300+$ of long distance calls on them. i look online for stuff figured i`d ask here also cause maybe you guys know somehting it might have hapened to a friend of a friend of a cosins or something. anyways.. could simply be a dialwer or something a hacker usses to coonect to his line he`s on a 56k so it`s possible.. anyways program names you guys know to detect these or soemthing thanks

Well, it could simply be a long distance call? But I suppose if you're on here he knows he hasn't made them. A Porn Dialer comes up as Premium; so do all Dialers. So it can't be that. Could be a simple telephone call centre or something like that? What is the number that the Long Distance Line is from? Is it always the same number?

Although; biggest likelyhood is its a Porn Dialer and he's downloaded it and forgotten to install it. It is impossible for you not to notice any dialer software dialing - as the computer beeps the phone doesn't work and even if the computer doesn't beep - you'll notice the phone not working or the internet going down.

For $300, the call will have to be about 2.5 hours at even the craziest rates for a Long Distance Call anyway.

 

[root]

they did a thing about this on the watch dog programme that comes on the BBC.

BT official response to this was that the problem was most likely caused by an auto dialer (and upon inspection it was) but since the customer did nothing to defend themselves against this attack they were to blame and had to pay the bills in full.

Seems distinctly unfair...
They traced the owner of the premium rate number and there was very little they could do to prosecute this person.

 

[Lord Kalthorn]

they did a thing about this on the watch dog programme that comes on the BBC.

BT official response to this was that the problem was most likely caused by an auto dialer (and upon inspection it was) but since the customer did nothing to defend themselves against this attack they were to blame and had to pay the bills in full.

Seems distinctly unfair...
They traced the owner of the premium rate number and there was very little they could do to prosecute this person.

It is; thats why everybody should have Broadband! Its not even that much more than Anytime anymore - and you get your phone at the same time.

Eitherway - even on Dialup - somebody should notice their phone not working, their internet going off, and a very load dialing up sound coming from their PC.

 

[root]

whats to say it doesn't happen in the night, or while someone is out? It's not the sort of thing that can be detected very easly...

also you have to consider programs that might change the dialup settings for a regular internet account, therfore you may think you are signing up with your ISP but you are actually phoneing some premium rate number somewhere on the other side of the world.

I agree that some of the onus has to be on the user, it wouldn't be hard to install a fire wall that would prevent unautherised dialup connections!

But I also think that a the brunt of the responsibility should lie with the premium rate licensing authorities, Phone scams are not exactly new, people have been prosectued in the past for 'stolen mobile' related premium call scams, why not 'stolen computer' related phone scams

 

[Lord Kalthorn]

Hmmm, don't know. Maybe they should - it would make things much easier.

But again; I believe the only way forward in many aspects is for everybody to be on Broadband at least at 512Kbps. This would also get rid of this problem.