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Telus Puts A Stop To 'Modem Hijacking'
TheIonix writes "Telus, a major telco in Canada, decided to block long distance direct-dialed calls to four countries to help reduce dial-up 'modem hijacking'. The article explains: 'When the [dial-up] user downloads [certain malware programs], the downloaded file accesses software on their computer and causes the modem to dial phone numbers in foreign countries, resulting in long distance charges.' 4 countries were targeted: Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Nauru and Sao Tome. It is still possible to call to those countries with the operator assistance and the fees are waived. Now let's see if this nice idea will be followed by others."
Commonly, the way that these international calling scams work is that the monopoly carrier of the foriegn country charges obscenely high rates by most standards, and then the malware writer leases lines close to the point of entry so that the carrier doesn't have to do much work once the call enters their system. The malware writer is then given a piece of the international call toll for attracting the business.
In short, the phone companies in these developing nations are usually in on the scheme and profit just as much as the malware operators do from the increased call volume. They have no interest in stopping calls that way.
I wouldn't be opposed to giving such companies an international telecom death penality of simply not routing calls their way. If the only phone operator in a country can't properly keep scam artists out of their network, and furthermore aids such scam artists, that country really doesn't have much of a phone system to begin with... an electronic embargo might get the government there to get a clue.
Telus's CallGate service costs $3.95 (Canadian, of course) and gives the option configure it to block 1-900 calls, toll calls, a list of 25 specific numbers or such.
It's interesting that they're asking people to pay to be not able to dial given numbers. You'd think a hardware device on the user's side could provide the same functionality for less...
Here's an idea: Don't hook up the phone line to the computer unless you plan on going online
Here's a better idea: download Spybot Search & Destroy and run it. Keep your system patched. Run AV software. Don't run unkown binaries (read:"crap off Kazaa")
Trolling is a art,
telia, the major telecom company here have created software (free to download from their site) for ms windows that blocks mode hijacking attempts.
I live locally to telus and one of the local television stations reported on this and said that cable modems and ADSL modems where also affected. They failed to mention anything about needing a phone modem connected to a phone line for this to affect the cable and ADSL modems. One way to create more excitement!!
1) Telus is a publicly traded company, not a government agency
2) This does not restrict your freedom in any way. You can still call Nauru etc, just not without opeator assistance.
In Canada you are responsible for phone calls made from your phone, and you must pay for them. As Telus point out in their article, they have contracts for overseas calls, and the calls must be paid for even if the other end are corrupt scum.
Exactly what crime are these people guilty of, anyway? If they tell their victims that they are going to be connected to an "international number" it's hardly fraud, even if that's exactly the intent.
There used to be lots of ads on TV for chat lines that were in places like Peru. The ads always mentioned that "long distance charges may apply". Boy, did they ever...
...laura, a Telus customer
Telus isn't a government, it's just the monopoly phone provider in the western sections of Canada...
How many of those monopoly phone companies are government monopolies? "Posts and Telecoms" remains within the government in many places.
-- Slashdot: When Public Access TV Says "No"
Usually, these scams involve some marginal "billing service" provider. Integretel, eBillit, Payment One, and Verity International are some of the names that come up.
The CERT bulletin he's referring to was published in the Washington Post actually.
Photos.
That's not true. Telus has had long distance competition since 1992 and local competition since 1997.
-- SYS 64738 --
KDDI in Japan did this years ago.