Toll Fraud Over Analog Fax Line

[rburgener]

I have a customer that is having their fax line hacked externally and long distance calls are being placed on it.

My technician that manages that site is stumped and none of us at the office have a real solution for the problem. We don't believe that the fax is making the outgoing calls but one option would be to put a toll restrictor on that line of even put it on a spare analog extension of the KSU and toll redistricted it. We will need to have a over ride as the customer does fax long distance as well.

Currently its a standard Analog line from the local Telco(Bell Canada). The location is in Brantford Ontario Canada if this helps anyone solve this problem for us.

Thanks
Ryan

 

[doktor]

Your local PSTN provider can restrict the possibility to call int'l and long distnce.

///doktor

http://www.kandu.dk/spg153996.aspx

 

[Dexman]

There is a possibility that the fax line is double-tapped somewhere between the Central Office and the customer's location.

I "FEATURE 00

 

[SYQUEST]

What kinds of fraud calls are appearing on the bill? Could it be that they are 3rd party calls? If that is the case then have Bell Canada block all 3rd party calls from the line. You can also block collect calls the same way.

That is something I do on my clients lines automatically, unless they want that access.

....JIM....

 

[kwbMitel]

My first thought was the same as Dexman's.

My second thought is to ask if there is an Alarm system tpped into the line. Alarm systems frequently have remote access and dialout capability.

The third thought is to ask for a reassessment of the "External" aspect. Assume nothing.

**********************************************
What's most important is that you realise ... There is no spoon.

 

[nessman]

Phone systems are just a big game of connect the dots. Start at the demarc and trace it all the way back to the fax machine. If there's nothing else sharing the line between the fax and the demarc - then check with the telco.

It's not uncommon for the telco bridge a 25 pair (or however big the cable is into your facility) off the cable going by on the street - allowing you to use somone else's phone circuit for your system. You're "not allowed" to do it - but anyone can get into the telco's equipment and tap someone else's circuit as there's no lock on it. I've also seen multi-tenant buildings where the demarc is a mess of old and new stuff that's terminated into a common area and poorly labelled phone equipment and things get mixed up. I'm sure 99.999% of the time when this happens, it's not intentional - but you never know.