I'm a PHREAK! (The brief explanation of fone fraud)

Jun 24 19:25 UTC 1994

THE HISTORY OF THE PHREAK
(well, brief anyway)
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                         DISCLAIMER
The information contained in this article is neither to condone, nor
explain illigal use of the phone system.  Knowledge is power, but
knowledge only goes so far with Bubba, your homosexual cellmate.
**********************************************************************

Basically, the Fone Phreak has been around for years, and really got big
during the 70's, with the evolution of something called the little "blue
box".  Basically, the blue box was a small electronic box that generated
tones that allowed phreakes to make illigal fone callls from ones home,
office, etc.  The box generated a tone of 2600 khz, which would connect
someone free of charge with a trunk that, eventually, allowed them to
call anywhere, for any legnth of time, for completely phree.
Allthough, as phreak technology increased, so did fone security, and
since about 1989, in most major areas of the united states, the blue
box no longer works.

But the blue box was not the only box around.  Boxes neccisairily
wern't illigal however, from boxes that warned that someone was using
the modem, to tone dialers.  Other boxes, such as the beige box, were
nothing more that a lineman's handset (that allowed one to tap-in to
an outside line, and make phone calls, or listin in on private 
conversations.)  

Another box that was really popular was the infamous "black-box".  In
breif, the black box was put on ones phone, and whom ever called that
with the box would not be charged for there long distance to that party.
The unit worked like this.  When you make a phone call, threre is a lower
amount of voltage when teh fone rings, and then it raises when it is answered.
The black box maintains the voltage, even when the fone is answered, the
voltage remains the same, so the operator thinks the phone is still ringing
while conversation occurs.
Unfortunatly (woops, did i say that!) the black boxx meet it's technical
demise with the blue box.

So, what's left?
The red box.  Basically, what this box does, as did the blue box, is generate
tones.  But these tones simulate the entering of coins into a payfone.  1
tone for a nickle, one for a dime, and one for a quarter.  By holding
the box to the phone, and pressing a button, when the recording requests
the entering of 2.35 or whatever, each tone equals the entering of a
coin.  Thus, free long distance.

The red box still works, in some areas.  In major metropolitan areas,
it no longer works, due to updated software.  
So what's left?  Carding, nearly shunned by most phreaks, is becoming very p
popular.  It just involves the stealing of ones phone card, and using
the number to make phone calls.  But with increasingly "personal" phone
numbers (homephone + 4 digits) fraud is becoming more rare.

response 2 of 83:

Sep 26 10:39 UTC 1994

You're wrong about blue boxing, you know, it will still work anywhere
Country Direct numbers (which are 1-800's). Dial, for example, Peru Direct,
(coz they're still xbar5) and before the operator answers seize the trunk in
that old fashioned way we all love so well. This is how we in Europe phreak
e

response 4 of 83:

Oct 3 11:40 UTC 1994

Ok this is gonna sound really lame, but is there _any_ UK or Europe
guy who would mind showing me around the phreaking world - you can
read all the FAQ's and ezines you like but until you try it you are
still a novice.  I have only ever done carding once, and that was
too damn hot for me, but blue boxing interests me greatly.
Email me on here and let me have a phone number so we can talk or write
each other.  I'm not stupid, I don't intend to go blagging about this
and I learn quick, but like all good activities, you need someone to 
start you off...

= RiCH =

response 6 of 83:

Jan 6 18:51 UTC 1995

Next someome will be asking for an "pyrotechnics/ammunitions" mentor
so that can learn to take the local McDonalds hostage. 

response 8 of 83:

Mar 31 14:13 UTC 1995

now linked to the accordion conference.
by humdog.

so There.

response 10 of 83:

Apr 6 13:51 UTC 1995

you do read 2600 don't you?

response 12 of 83:

Apr 6 18:10 UTC 1995

        Alas poor peacefrog lives in the howling wilderness (actually I wish
I lived in the howling wilderness too) so he doesn't have access to 2600.
What he might want to do is telnet to etext.archives.umich.edu and download
some back copies of phrack.  Froggy you will also need gnuzip to uncompress
them.  Also download in bianary and uncompress in ascii.

response 14 of 83:

Apr 7 04:53 UTC 1995

Thanks guys, Look slike I'll have to take the phrack route. 
And I'll check out the schematic books.

response 16 of 83:

Apr 13 15:09 UTC 1995

Resistance futile? 

response 18 of 83:

Apr 14 03:03 UTC 1995

RESISTANCE IS FEUDAL!

Or, wait.  Was that it?

response 20 of 83:

Apr 14 08:15 UTC 1995

Nephi, you're taking this conversation into the toilet.

response 22 of 83:

Apr 14 13:33 UTC 1995

you see there why we love our Thanne.

oh thanne did you know that thanne is middle
english for than.
i was reading my chaucer last night
and there you were in the middle of the consolations of
philosophy:

Thanne didde

response 24 of 83:

Apr 17 19:23 UTC 1995

   Forunately or unforunately depending on which side you're on in
the debate on phreaking, the most amazing is yet to come.

   That I know of, there isn't much coordinated effort in the learning
of, and dissemination of information on the switches themselves.  Large
computers in their own right, they stand a good chance of being completely
subverted, and then god knows what will happen...

   For a while now, I've thought of this as the "clear box"; hidden inside
the machine, doing what its creators intended.

   The future will probably be interesting.