Phone scams

[Burgo]

Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2009 9:53 pm Post subject: Beware of Phone Scams

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I have received this Email from a friend today, Just thought i would pass it on.

Subject: Fw: Please pass this on, it has been confirmed by Telstra & Australia Police

I got a call last night from an individual identifying himself as an Telstra Service technician who was conducting a test on our
Telephone lines.
He stated that to complete the test I should touch nine(9),zero ( 0), hash (#) and then hang up.
Luckily, I was suspicious and refused. Upon contacting the telephone company, I was informed that by pushing 90#, you give the
Requesting individual full access to your telephone line, which allows
Them to place long distance telephone calls billed to your home phone number.
I was further informed that this scam has been originating from many of the local gaols/prisons.
DO NOT press 90# for ANYONE. PLEASE pass this on to your friends.
If you have mailing lists and/or newsletters from organizations you are connected with, I encourage you to pass this on

Stephen Cooper
Detective Senior Constable 29748
Victoria Police State Crime Squads
Level 12, 412 St. Kilda Road , Melbourne
(03) 9865 2663 or 0414644499

[competitions]

A hoax email:

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/nine-zero-hash-hoax.html :

"These emails warn recipients that they may receive a call from a fraudster posing as a phone technician who will advise them to key in "Nine-Zero-Hash" or a similar sequence of numbers. According to the email, once you key in these numbers or similar, the fraudster has immediate access to your phone and can use it for making calls that will be billed to your account.

In late 2003, an Australian version of the hoax claimed to be a "police warning" and used the name and contact number of a real Victorian Police Officer. Although the officer did not send the email, he was inundated with calls and emails about the hoax. Australian telecommunications giant, Telstra, denounced the email as a hoax. An earlier US version claimed the supposed scam calls were coming from prisons. Yet another version of the hoax targets mobile phone users.

In rare cases, the information in the email can be true. Some business telephone switching equipment that has been configured in a certain way may be vulnerable to the scam. If a particular type of PABX phone system requires users to dial "9" to get an outside line then it is theoretically possible for a scammer to take control of the line. However, since the information is false for the vast majority of home phone users, and certainly for mobile phone users, the email can be dismissed as a pointless hoax and should not be forwarded."