Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001 12:34:47 -0500 (EST) From: BCPL.NET SysAdmin To: BCPL.NET News Subject: BCPL.NET NEWS: Vanuatu Telephone Bill Scam ---------------------------------------- BEWARE THE "VANUATU TELEPHONE BILL SCAM" ---------------------------------------- Over the past year or so we have heard from a number of BCPL.NET customers about telephone bills for long-distance calls they know they didn't make. Most of these customers were told by the long-distance telephone companies (AT&T, Sprint, etc) that the billings were caused by use of their BCPL.NET Internet connection. Thanks to poor understanding on the part of the long-distance company's customer service staff of how the Internet works, the BCPL.NET customers came away with the impression that somehow we were causing them to be charged for long-distance calls when they browsed remote Web sites. That can't happen. When you connect to BCPL.NET, the only phone call involved is the call your modem makes to our modem pool number (410-296-5500). That establishes your computer as a "host" on the BCPL.NET network for the duration of the call. It's just as if your computer is right here in our office, connected directly to the network. The only difference is that your connection is via modem, not via an Ethernet cable. When you browse the Web, send and receive e-mail, FTP files, or whatever, all connections between our network and the remote Web sites (or whatever) are handled by high-speed data lines. No long-distance telephone calls are involved. However, there is a scam being operated from several Web sites on the Internet that *can* result in long-distance charges on your phone bill. Here's how the scam works: o While Web browsing via your BCPL.NET connection, you go to a Web site that offers a special service of some kind (typically streaming audio, video, or "adult" images). The Web site says a "free special image viewer" or "free special sound player" or "free special download application" is required in order to use the site. This "free special software" is available only from that site. You can't get it anywhere else. o There are several pages of "fine print" on the site, describing the conditions for using the site and its "free special software". All the way at the end of the fine print it says something about long-distance phone charges being involved. Trouble is, you stop reading before you get to that part. o You download the "free special software", which installs itself on your PC. o Unknown to you, the "free special software" is a "stealth dialer" that disconnects you from BCPL.NET, turns off your modem speaker, then silently dials an international phone number. That international number reconnects you to the original Web site. o You are not even aware that anything has changed, but in reality your connection to that Web site is no longer via BCPL.NET. Instead, it is via a long-distance phone call directly from your modem to a modem pool operated by the remote Web site. o Typically that long-distance call is billed at $5 to $10 per minute, and your bill shows the call as being to somewhere you know you've never called. Currently most reports involve calls to the South-West Pacific island of Vanuatu, and for that reason you will hear this called the "Vanuatu Telephone Bill Scam". In the past there have been reports of the same type of scam being run from sites in the Caribbean, Russia, Madagascar, Moldova, Nigeria, Chad and elsewhere. o If you pay the bill, at least part of the payment goes to the company operating the "stealth dialer" Web site. It's similar to what happens if you call a 700 or 900 number here in the US. The company whose number you call gets part of the revenue from the billing. Even though you may have downloaded the "free special software" while using your BCPL.NET connection, it is important to understand that BCPL.NET did not cause your modem to make long-distance calls. That was done by the "free special software" you downloaded, after it disconnected you from BCPL.NET. There is only one absolutely sure way to protect yourself against this type of scam: never download anything from the Internet. That's obviously unrealistic, but you'll be safe enough if you just exercise caution. o Be very wary of a Web site that claims you must download their proprietary "free special software" in order to use the site. There is a very good possibility that it will turn out to be a stealth dialer. o Many Web sites requires you to download well-known plug-in software like Adobe Acrobat, QuickTime Player, Real Audio Player, Flash, Shockwave, and similar. Be very wary if the Web site claims you can download it directly from them. It is perfectly safe if the download link takes you to the support site for the well-known software, but be wary of downloading it from anywhere else because it could turn out to be a stealth dialer in disguise. o You can have the phone company place blocks on your line to prevent calls to 700 & 900 numbers, and/or international calls, and/or all long-distance calls. These may be appropriate if you have a separate phone line used only by your modem. However if you have these blocks put on your regular phone lines you will not be able to make even intentional 700/900, international, or long-distance phone calls. o Check your phone bill carefully each month. If you see a long-distance bill you know was not intentionally made from your phone, especially if it is to a foreign country, call the phone company's customer service department immediately. The phone company may or may not be willing to delete or reduce the charge. While dealing with them, remember that from their point of view the call *was* made from your phone line, even though you didn't do it intentionally. My thanks to Mike Wallace of the BCPL.NET Help Desk for doing the research that turned up this information. For more about this scam, go to your favorite Internet search engine and do a search for "Vanuatu telephone scam". Browse safely! Chip -- BCPL.NET INTERNET SERVICES CONTACTS: ----------------------------------- Web Site: http://www.bcpl.net Administration & Policy: ispadmin@bcpl.net 410-887-6180 Sales, Renewals, Account Status: accounts@bcpl.net 410-887-4172 Technical Support (Help Desk): help@bcpl.net 410-887-3297 Usenet News Newsgroup Requests news-admin@bcpl.net 410-887-6180 E-Mail & Newsgroup Abuse Reports: abuse@bcpl.net 410-887-6180 Domain Name Service Issues: dnsadmin@bcpl.net 410-887-6180 FAX: 410-887-2091