[fa.telecom] TELECOM Digest V4 #15

Telecom-Request%usc-eclc@brl-bmd.UUCP (Telecom-Request@usc-eclc) (01/28/84)

TELECOM Digest          Saturday, 28 Jan 1984      Volume 4 : Issue 15

Today's Topics:
                       New York Phone Credit Scam
                       Re:  TELECOM Digest V4 #14
                       Area code 213 > 818 changes
                           MCI Quality Comment
                     att calling card for net number
                         bell of pa calling card
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Date: 27 Jan 1984 02:25:18-EST
From: ima!inmet!nrh@CCA-UNIX
Subject: New York Phone Credit Scam

Just thought I'd let people in on a con game that was tried on me a 
while ago in New York.

While waiting in the NY Bus station I made a few phone calls, and 
after a while, two gentlemen approached me with the following deal:

        For $50, they'd give me a telephone credit card number that
was
        GUARANTEED for a year, unlimited free calling.

I'm always interested in con games, and I was curious who was footing 
the bill for the calls, so I let them chat me up a little.  After I 
refused their deal, I watched them for a while.  My impression was 
that they were listening to people recite or touch-tone their credit 
numbers, and then passing those numbers on to the rubes.

Of course, I could be wrong: it might be that you really can get 
unlimited phone service for a year for $50.  You try it first, though 
and let me know.  Also, you might want to be a little paranoid about 
who can sense your credit card number, although I've no idea how 
responsible a cardholder is for bills he does not incur.

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Date: Fri, 27 Jan 84 8:17:45 EST
From: Ron Natalie <ron@brl-vgr>
Subject: Re:  TELECOM Digest V4 #14

Now wait, it isn't just bank cards that are limitted to $50 loss after
I report them missing (of course, you have to know they're missing), 
my department store and gas cards say the same thing.  If you are 
really worried you can always subscribe to one of these credit card 
protection services.  You list all your cards/numbers and send it to 
them and if your cards are lost they report for you and they assume 
the liability.  Rates vary.  American Express does this and I seem to 
remember offers from Amoco and J.C.Penny as well.

-Ron

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Date: Fri 27 Jan 84 14:07:38-MST
From: William G. Martin <WMartin@SIMTEL20.ARPA>
Subject: Area code 213 > 818 changes

Pulled from the INFO-CPM list, for your information:

                ---------------

Date:  Sat, 21 Jan 84 1:30:32 EST From:  Keith Petersen <w8sdz@brl> 
To:  Info-Cpm@brl-vgr Subject:  Area code 213 BBS changes

--forwarded from the Sysop Clearinghouse RCPM--

                  (818) Area Code Helper
                     January 17, 1983
                (2nd version by Kim Levitt)

On Jan. 7th, the 213 area code which used to cover most of Los Angeles
County was spilt in two.  For the benefit of those who are changing
dialing menus or macros, here is a list of the former 213 prefixes
which are now 818.  If you dial one of them without the 1-818, for the
next nine months you will probably get connected, but you might get a 
recording which may, (probably will), keep your modem from connecting.
After Oct. 1st, (or possibly sooner), you will not be connected unless
you dial the (818) area code.  The prefixes which were changed are
listed below.

     240-244 Glendale 246-247 Glendale
     248-249 La Crescenta 280-282 Alhambra
     284-289 Alhambra 300 Alhambra
     303 Monrovia 304 Pasadena
     307-308 Alhambra 330-339 Covina
     340-341 Canoga Park 342-345 Reseda
     346-348 Canoga Park 349 Reseda
     350 El Monte 351 Sierra Madre
     352-353 Sunland-Tujunga 354 La Canada
     355 Sierra Madre 356 Pasadena
     357-359 Monrovia 360-368 San Fernando
     400 Pasadena 440-441 Pasadena
     442-444 El Monte 445-447 Arcadia
     448 El Monte 449 Pasadena
     500 Glendale 501 Van Nuys
     502 Glendale 504 Sun Valley
     505-506 N. Hollywood 507 Glendale
     508-509 N. Hollywood 570-573 Alhambra
     574 Arcadia 575 El Monte
     576 Alhambra 577-578 Pasadena
     579 El Monte 700 Canoga Park
     701 Reseda 702-704 Canoga Park
     705 Reseda 706-707 Agoura
     708 Reseda 709-710 Canoga Park
     715-716 Canoga Park 717 Reseda
     760-766 N. Hollywood 767-768 Sun Valley
     769 N. Hollywood 780-789 Van Nuys
     790 La Canada 791-799 Pasadena
     810 Covina 812 Covina
     814 Covina 817 Covina
     840-843 Burbank 845-848 Burbank
     880 Canoga Park 881 Reseda
     882-884 Canoga Park 885-886 Reseda
     887-888 Canoga Park 889 Agoura
     890-899 San Fernando 901-908 Van Nuys
     912-915 Covina 917-919 Covina
     917-919 Covina 951 Sunland-Tujunga
     952 La Canada 953-954 Burbank
     956 Glendale 957 La Crescenta
     960-969 Covina 980 N. Hollywood
     981 Van Nuys 982 N. Hollywood
     983-984 Van Nuys 985 N. Hollywood
     986-990 Van Nuys 991 Agoura
     992 Canoga Park 993 Reseda
     994-995 Van Nuys 996 Reseda
     997 Van Nuys 998-999 Canoga Park

The above list was compiled from a listing published in the Santa
Monica Evening Outlook, supplemented by several calls to General
Telephone Information.  Any errors are probably caused by my poor
proof reading.  (Prefixes 505, 780-789, 790 and 791-799 were omitted
on first version of this list.  These additional prefixes were listed
on page A-80 of the Pacific Telephone June 1983 Los Angeles White
Pages, and have been confirmed to be a part of the (818) area code.)

(Original version by Henry Dowst - KA6KNJ; revision on 1/17 by Kim
Levitt, sysop of Hollywood RCPM/MBBS (213) 653-6398)

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 27 Jan 84 16:23:11 EST
From: BRINT <abc@brl-bmd>
Subject: MCI Quality Comment

Since the subject seems to be of general interest, I report that I've 
had MCI service for over a year.  Once or twice, at the very beginning
we noticed insufficient volume on calls from BAltimore to Las Cruces, 
NM.

Other than that, there have been no quality problems.  COnnections are
at least as fast as local calls; there have been no untoward 
connections; and the lines are rather noise-free.

------------------------------

Date: Friday, 27 January 1984 10:11 est
From: Kovalcik.Multics@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA (Richard Kovalcik, Jr.)
Subject: att calling card for net number

I received TWO ATT Calling Cards for my secondary home phone (the one 
I use for my modem) last week and none for my primary home phone (the 
one whose number I give to people).  Since both phones are on the same
exchange I am a little worried.  I guess I will wait another couple of
weeks and call ATT.  This was the 617-254 exchange.  Anyone else have 
a similiar problem?

------------------------------

Date: Friday, 27 January 1984 10:07 est
From: Kovalcik.Multics@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA (Richard Kovalcik, Jr.)
Subject: bell of pa calling card

I got my new Bell of PA calling card a while back with the number on 
the card and the PIN not on the card.  Now, this seems backwards to me
as I can remember my parents second home phone number (which is where 
this comes from), but I can't remember the PIN if I only use it once a
year.  I got this card as a backup as New England Telephone was having
a lot of trouble making my calling card from them stay valid for more 
than a week at a time.  It seems to me that the PIN and not the number
should really be on the card you carry around with you.

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End of TELECOM Digest
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