wmartin@ALMSA-1.ARPA.UUCP (01/15/87)
Here's yet some more from the RISKS Digest on British PhoneCard toll fraud: Will ----- Forwarded message # 1: > From: Brian Randell <brian%kelpie.newcastle.ac.uk@Cs.Ucl.AC.UK> > Date: Wed, 14 Jan 87 16:12:23 gmt > To: RISKS@csl.sri.com > Subject: Phone Cards > > PHONE CARDS - THE PLOT THICKENS > > At PGN's implied request, I have tracked down, and talked to the Sunday > Post reporter who wrote the original story on the phone card fraud. These > notes of my telephone conversation with him are being sent to RISKS with his > explicit permission, though he asked that his name not be included. > > The Sunday Post was indeed asked by BT to publish a retraction, but > have refused to do, though they have published a letter from BT expressing > (BT's) full confidence in the phone card system. Based on previous > experiences - "we often get complaints at our stories" - the reporter > regards the fact that BT did not push for a retraction, but instead merely > settled for publication of their letter, as tantamount to an acceptance of > the truth of the original story. > > He claims to be still sure that the fraud is possible, and to have seen > it being worked, at several different phones, by the soldiers, in the > presence of several other witnesses. He does admit that he was himself later > unable to demonstrate the fraud successfully to some BT engineers who > travelled to Glasgow to meet him. He however has since talked to one of the > soldiers, who assures him that the fraud is still working, but will not > reveal to the reporter, leave alone BT, where he (the reporter) went wrong > in trying to duplicate the method of fraud. (The other soldier - who did not > want the original story published, because it would interfere with "free" > international calls - is now refusing to talk to the reporter.) Moreover the > reporter claims to have received a phone call from a BT engineer at Watford, > confirming the practicability of the fraud. > > Brian Randell - Computing Laboratory, University of Newcastle upon Tyne > > ARPA : brian%cheviot.newcastle.ac.uk@cs.ucl.ac.uk > UUCP : <UK>!ukc!cheviot!brian > JANET : brian@uk.ac.newcastle.cheviot > ------------------------------ ----- End of forwarded messages