Phreaking Phones - What The Heck Is This?

[Bloo]

OK, not strictly speaking Computer related, but in a way. This is over my head and I can' make head nor tail of what's going on.

Over the past few days I've received a number of calls from numbers I do not recognise. As it happens I've never actually answered any of them but they show up as a missed call. I never return missed calls to people I do not know (or have in my phone book).

Anyhow - long story short. I had a niggling feeling that this was some sort of spam/scam thing going on. So I googled the numbers.

Every single one of them point to this list called "Phreaking Public Phones - Huge list of BT Payphones ".

I've tried to browse around that website (Art of Hacking) - but as I'm not a hacker, I don't have the foggiest what I'm looking at.

So: What on earth is this? What does it mean and how do i stop it - apart from changing my number.

I'm also curious to know what will happen if I actually answer one of these calls - not that I will. But I'm tempted

 

[SoCalMom]

I would love to know too lol

I have no idea what that is either

I'd answer one of the calls just to see what would happen lol

 

[Bloo]

I'd answer one of the calls just to see what would happen lol

not after what I've read a bit on those hacking sites!

But any IT brain bots here would be great for some advice

 

[smurfyy_2k3]

there is loads of information on phreaking phones in the anarchists cook book including methods for building boxes, its basically a way of ripping off payphones and i think you can set up reverse premium rate phone calls with them

btw: if your going to download the anarchists cookbook i feel its only fair you know alot of those donwloads are monitored as it contains rather alot of illegal "practices" shall we say

 

[kewskills]

there is loads of information on phreaking phones in the anarchists cook book including methods for building boxes, its basically a way of ripping off payphones and i think you can set up reverse premium rate phone calls with them

btw: if your going to download the anarchists cookbook i feel its only fair you know alot of those donwloads are monitored as it contains rather alot of illegal "practices" shall we say

i'll send you a copy if you want, if your worried about monitoring

 

[smurfyy_2k3]

if that was an offer to me i already have it

 

[Bloo]

Erm thanks guys - but I still do not have a clue why I'd be getting calls from these numbers

Is someone trying to rip me off? I dont get it....what does it all mean in plain English?

 

[smurfyy_2k3]

boxes can auto dial numbers and randomly ring phones

 

[Bloo]

and why? why are they compiling that list?

 

[smurfyy_2k3]

number of reasons

e.g. sell to telemarketers, prank phone calls, credit card stealling hoax calls ect, ect,

 

[piratedninja]

seems like to me someone is soon going to find a way to make payment transactions straight from your cellphone without you knowing by just answering the phone
its definately possible as companies can already add charges to your cellphone bill for using their services

^^^ just my $0.02 ^^^

i get a lot of calls on my cell too but if i dont recognize the number then i wont answer

 

[promithius]

yea, phreaking is the name given to 'hacking' phone sytems. dont see it much really anymore. and id be interested in that offer of a handbook

 

[PlecMama]

Well yesterday, I was randomly playing with my phone while waiting in line at the bus station and I found an inbox I never use, can't remember what it was called, html messages or something, and there were big bunches of numbers listed there so I opened one and it was a picture of a ladies oojamaflip! omg, and there I was, right there in the bus line with this picture right there on my phone! I was so embarrassed, I was trying to make it go away quickly before anyone else looked over and saw it, but you know when you get all vexed you mess it up

Anyway, I looked at the other messages later, and about 12 of them were the same "pose" - so either this is some kind of premium number that if I call it back, will charge me £20 a second, or this girl *really* likes me.

I didn't call....

 

[Scrofula]

If you have call ID on your landline I'd be interested to know if anyone gets calls that come up as 'out of area' In my last 3 houses I get about 3 of these a week. I never answer them but the strange thing is I can't hang up on them either. That is I can't press the red call end button to cancel the call. This is annoying. I even unplugged the phone from the wall and pluged it back in (master socket) and it continues ringing. I can't prove it but I'm sure these a reversed charge calling scam so if you answer you get nothing on the end but its costing you £'s per min. I tried raising this with BT... I'd be quicker trying to raise Atlantis though