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Overseas Crooks Abuse TTY Phone Service

Posted by michael on from the there-are-no-words dept.

Rick Zeman writes "The Arizona Daily Star is reporting on how 419 scammers and credit card thieves are abusing the US' TTY service which enables hearing-impaired citizens to make phone calls with the help of an intermediary operator. 'The callers try to use stolen credit-card numbers to make big purchases of merchandise from American companies. The operators often suspect fraud, but they can't just hang up. Federal rules require them to make the calls and keep the contents strictly confidential.' Yes, Virginia, they have no shame...."

9 of 304 comments (clear)

  1. Didn't... by RyuuzakiTetsuya · · Score: -1, Troll

    Somethingawful already do this? Oh wait, that was just stupid pranks, not outright scams.

    It's amazing, and TTY users wondered why Dell required them to call the TTY line.

    --
    Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
  2. That's just cruel by Neil+Blender · · Score: -1, Troll

    Picking on the retarded like that.

  3. DEAF AND DUMB by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    They're called that for a reason.

    1. Re:DEAF AND DUMB by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

      Name me one smart death person.

      Oh, thats right, you can't.

  4. Makes you wonder... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    ...if there's something genetic in Africans that make them more likely to commit scams like this.

  5. It could be worse. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    The operators could have this man's job.

    http://hinterlands.cc/index.php?showtopic=66

  6. No more than a public phone call. +Mods are idios by b00m3rang · · Score: 0, Troll

    n/t

  7. Re:Hear the president play the religion card by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    President's Easter Message

    Easter 2004

    The Lord is risen indeed... Luke 24

    HalLo, GeorGe HerE,.

    ThIs Time I GOts 3 ESter EgGs inStEd of 2. EsTer haS SomeTHing tO Do witH GoD, WhO SPPEKS IN MY HEAD.

    I HaD tHis littlle dog Once caLed SLIm, But he RAN AWAY. We Shud eVade IRak Again Becoz the first dint take pRoP'Ly. VotE FRO Me AGain plz, I LiKe BeEnG PreSDENT.

    Laura joins me in sending our best wishes for a happy Easter.

    GEORGE W. BUSH

  8. Re:legality of aiding in illegal things by Bob+MacSlack · · Score: 0, Troll

    Operators have to maintain confidentiality. No excuses. There's a section in our manual (i'm an operator btw) that specifically deals with bomb threats to the center. But there are 2 different situations. One is if they direct it to the operator, in which case it's treated like a normal call to the center and law enforcement is notified etc. The other one is if they mention it during a call. The operator is bound by law to say nothing, and continue relaying the call as normal ("Sorry, i have to go home, I don't feel well. And for that matter neither do you ::SIGNIFICANT LOOK::").

    I would also assume that any information given by an operator in breach of confidentiality would be inadmissible. Operators cannot be forced to divulge information from call content, and doing so is risking your job, and possibly other penalities. Someone did post links to sites about operators doing that though, so it's not like it doesn't happen.