AT&T TAKES NEW STEPS TO STOP CALLING CARD FRAUD [ Internal AT&T Document, provided to the masses by George Bush/TGH. I will upload a scanned Gif of this letter during the next few days, what is in '[]' is my own writing ] ---------------- [AT&T Logo] July 9, 1993 Document number 427 Classified information, for AT&T business executives rank senior or higher [underlined] only. Everything below is copyright (c) American Telegraph & Telephone company. It may not be reprinted or reproduced in any way. Neither is anyone allowed to mention or discuss the contents of this document with anyone apart from the people mentioned in the first line. Anyone violating this concept will be charged for breaking copyrights, fired (if an employee of AT&T) and sued for potential damages. The remedies set forth in this statement are in lieu of any others, oral or written, expressed or implied. As previous information sheets have told, (# 177,253,287) AT&T calculates with an measurable loss caused by abuse of the AT&T calling cards. The loss has so far been 70% less than at the same time last year, but it still shows. In order to further reduce the cost of calling card abuse AT&T plans to introduce C M R (Computerlinked Matching and Reporting). CMR is software, hardware and humans working together to detect and act upon calling card abuse. As mentioned in previous information sheets (# 112, 177, 253, 287), calling card accounts are being transferred by BBS' (Bulletin Board Systems) to all over the world, leading several identical calling card accounts to being abused at the same time. This will not be possible any longer with the introduction of CMR. CMR will automatically match all calling cards in operation continuously and when two matching calling cards are found to be in operation at the same time, an AT&T operator will be notified. The computer will then automatically try to locate the calling card users (working on the presumption that only one calling card is usually being used at a time), and detect the kind of conversation. The computer will [Bold Underlined] not tape any voice conversations, it will merely register the kind of conversation, being it voice, data or other. This information will be stored in a record and the original owner of the calling card will be contacted and asked if permission has been given, if that is not the case AT&T will take legal actions towards the abusers. AT&T Hopes this will reduce the abuse of the AT&T calling cards, and benefit our customers. CMR is planned to be introduced in February 1994. Detailed information concerning the CMR is available upon request to executives with proper authority. AT&T Technical director, Jonathan Biss [signature] --------- [ Bush: Well, fellow CC users, this is not good, assuming this will go in order it seems AT&T will be able to match, and then trace any call and its contents, as we all know, there are few CC's and a LOTS of users, and if anybody are using the same CC at one time..BANG. But if we handle this with care, it wont mean to much. As we all know, Ripco is the leading BBS (Nice to see you're in business again), thus TGH has decided that Ripco shall be the place were we discuss this. As we know, Ripco has one of the tightest validations schemes, yet over 400 users, with regular number bulletins, we are currently working on a system which will make you, the users of Ripco safe from CMR, provided everybody follows the rules. Further information concerning this will start appearing at Ripco during the next few months, so if you are not registered at Ripco we cant help you. Because of this new CMR the sysop at Ripco has agreed to extend the user roof to 750 users. Validation will continue until August, then it will become a permanently (?) closed system. We feel that with 700-800 users Ripco will be able to provide and be provided with enough necessary information so that its users will not have to fear CMR. REMEMBER!: If you have any new information, dont be a lamer and sit on it, we must exchange all information with each other. ]