CPF'er needs advice from computer guys

CPF\'er needs advice from computer guys

My good freind has a problem.
It seems that his mom got the phone bill, and
there was a charge on there for about $40 for
an international phone call. They called the phone company (At&t I think) and asked them about
it, because no one had called overseas. The phone company told them that the charge was from an
"adult" site in south Africa. He is the only
one in his family who uses the internet, and he
didn't visit any "adult" sites.

My question to any computer guys out there is:
is there any possible way that the charge could
be a mistake, And/or could it possibly have come
from a pop-up add automatically activating its self? Can they do that? Also is there any way of
looking at what sites you have visited recently
to prove that he didn't visit that site? Thanks.

Re: CPF\'er needs advice from computer guys

You can his the history button and see all the sites you've been too, internet sites will NOT show up on your phone bill though.

I do know there are these little nasty programs called dialers that, well I am not sure what they do because any time I have ever run across one I have promptly deleted it, but I think he'd know if he had used one of those.

I think you can despute phone charges--I'll let somone else who actually pays bills comment on that though.

Re: CPF\'er needs advice from computer guys

Sure sounds to me like a dialer is exactly what he's got! I'm surprised it's just one phone call. Basically, you download some piece of software to get onto some site or something and what it really does is re-write your dial up networking preferences. It disconnects and re-dials up a 900 type number and your connection continues. Most of these things are even smart enough to mute the modem speaker so that you never know that you've been reconnected.

Invest in some good virus protection software and keep it updated. Take this as a lesson in Internet Hygiene. Dont download and run stuff!

The fact that it's only $40 and you don't specifically say that it was a per minute charge call makes me not completely sure this is what happened. It is entirely possible for the phone company to make a mistake. It may not be possible for you to fight the charges successfully. The phone company doesn't care a whit about you. When the revolution comes those *******s will be the first against the wall. OK, well, maybe after the RIAA and Warner Brothers, and the cable company, and.. OK, so not the first, but definitely in line...

Re: CPF\'er needs advice from computer guys

What is the RIAA?
What are Warner Brothers doing?
Which revolution?

The revolution for the skinheads?
The revolution for the reds?
The flower revolution?
The Black Panther revolution?

I get so confused sometimes. Please enlighten me.

I am sure you must have a good reason if you advocate putting people against a wall.

Re: CPF\'er needs advice from computer guys

From an insomniac:
I think the first one is the Recording Industry Association of America..All about standards & equalization curves..possibly anti-copy schemes etc.?

Re: CPF\'er needs advice from computer guys

The "international call" thing is the confusing part. There are websites that allow you to sign up for a limited membership (usually one month's service) and tack the cost onto your phone bill - although I think it requires something like a 1-900 call to establish billing.

Mike

Re: CPF\'er needs advice from computer guys

James is correct - there are 'trojan-horse' programs out there which people distribute on the internet under the guise of being some kind of useful utility or application. They are quite commonly found in the binary usenet newsgroups.

What they usually do is in the background silently create a new dialup setting on your PC, which usually connects to an international number. This number is normally a special toll number, something like an international version of a 900 number, with *very* high rates, like $10 a minute or so.
The program silently disconnects your normal connection, and then reconnects via the new connection (which normally provides internet connectivity so you don't notice anything is wrong at first).
Often people don't realise what has happened until they get an international phone bill for hundreds of dollars.

The bit about adult sites mentioned is one of the common uses for these programs - an adult site will be advertised, saying that all you need to do to access it is run the program in question. It then acts as described above, giving you access to the site, but via a very expensive special toll international call.

Graham

Edit: Here is a US Federal Trade Commission alert regarding programs like this...

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/modmalrt.htm

Re: CPF\'er needs advice from computer guys

There are crackers(hackers) and there are phreakers. Since this is a phone-related charge, it could be that a phreaker may have hijacked your phone line nad used it freely to access those adult sites. It only takes access to a wiring cabinet and a pair of croc clips to hijack a line.

If allowed by the relevant parties, I would run a trace on the IP address used to access the adult sites and see if it coincides with any of the IP address DHCPed to you via your dial-up ISP during the billed period. If the IP addresses and your friend's usage date/times don't match up - its very possible your phone line was phreaked.

Re: CPF\'er needs advice from computer guys

This happened to me ~7 years ago. It happens in the blink of an eye without the user knowing. The scam is to ramp up the phone charges at some ridiculous rate. Need a gate keeper such as Norton Security, Zone alarm etc. I think the basic Zone alarm may be free from their site. I haven't used dialup in quite some time so I'm not familiar with these appz on dialup. HMMM I'm doing some work for a guy that uses dialup. I'll install one of these. Probably Norton. Part of Norton System Works.

Re: CPF\'er needs advice from computer guys

camisdad I'm not advocating that we put anyone against the wall. It is a recurring theme in some books by Douglas Adams that for some reason I have been thinking about recently, even though I haven't read them since High School...

In other words, it was an attempt at a joke. Please understand the spirit in which it was offered.

Have you really not heard of the RIAA?

Thanks,
James

Re: CPF\'er needs advice from computer guys

James, the most humorous part about your reply is that as I type this your post count is exactly, bot not quite, not 96. It is, however, 42.

and did somone say 2600? (Never done it, I'm too big of a wuss, nor would I ever do it)

Re: CPF\'er needs advice from computer guys

LOL, Saaby, thats really a remarkable coincidence! Of course I've ruined it now by posting again.

For those not familiar with the Hitchhikers Guide 42 is a significant number

Sorry for the confusion, sometimes something is so a part of your culture that you forget that not everyone you talk to has the same experiences!

As far as 2600, don't bother. It hasn't worked in most places in the country in at least 10 years. None of the digital switches have that vulnerability. I think I read about some switching systems in rural vermont or someplace that was still running the old relays. But there was like 2 of those still in operation in the whole world. The heady days of phone phreaking, black and blue boxes and captain crunch are more or less over.

Thanks!
James

Re: CPF\'er needs advice from computer guys

Hellfire! I didn't do it! Bigwuss was very kind in keeping it anonamouse but without anything to hide I could care less who knows that the above situation happened to me. My mom and dad have decided to let it go as a weird occurence and have blocked the ability to make overseas calls, which does nothing to clear my name. JUST PEACHY! You guys know me, you know I don't do that. This is insane. Sure I get out of control sometimes but I'm 19 and a guy - what do you expect? Someone back me up here, please.

Re: CPF\'er needs advice from computer guys

Uh Oh James S my apologies...

I have recently spent a few hours checking out AK47.net - there are so many true hate-mongers there that, after reading some of their bigotted posts, I actually thought you were serious.

Mea maxima culpa - I owe you one. I should have known better. Take care and best from Michel

Re: CPF\'er needs advice from computer guys

Sure I get out of control sometimes but I'm 19 and a guy - what do you expect? Someone back me up here, please.

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">It happens, we're here to help that's what CPFriends are for.

Re: CPF\'er needs advice from computer guys

It's been so long ago I don't even remember the relevance of 42 anymore. Guess it's time to reread some books again...