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Teen Phone Phreak Targeted by the FBI

Wired has an interesting editorial on the latest resurgence of the old days of phone phreaking and the latest phreak that is rising into the FBI crosshairs. The most recent hoax, "swatting", involves malicious pranksters calling police with reports of fake murders, hostage crises, or the like and spoofing the call to appear as though it was from another location. "Now the FBI thinks it has identified the culprit in the Colorado swatting as a 17-year-old East Boston phone phreak known as "Li'l Hacker." Because he's underage, Wired.com is not reporting Li'l Hacker's last name. His first name is Matthew, and he poses a unique challenge to the federal justice system, because he is blind from birth. If he's guilty, the attack is at once the least sophisticated and most malicious of a string of capers linked to Matt, who stumbled into the lingering remains of the decades-old subculture of phone phreaking when he was 14, and quickly rose to become one of the most skilled active phreakers alive."

16 of 431 comments (clear)

  1. Re:What's the point...? by jandrese · · Score: 5, Funny

    What if it was Jack Thompson's house?

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    I read the internet for the articles.
  2. ...the Matrix has you... by erroneus · · Score: 5, Funny

    Though he may seem like just an ordinary blind 17 year old, he is considered by many to be the most dangerous man alive. If you help us apprehend a known felon, we'll just clear away your record... give you a fresh start.

  3. Re:What's the point...? by Lumpy · · Score: 5, Funny

    What if it was Jack Thompson's house?

    Nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

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    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  4. Re:Challenge? Why by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    If he had a swat team pointing guns at me for a prank, I'd remedy the situation with a baseball bat. I'm sure he can be interned in a hospital bed just fine.

  5. Re:Cops always think that way... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Still pissed about getting busted for that bag of weed, huh?

  6. Re:Challenge? Why by electricbern · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, you see... since justice is also blind, it might be biased when judging his case.

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    alias possession='chmod 666 satan && ls /dev > il && tail daemon.log'
  7. Re:Thuggery by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 2, Funny

    If you could make boats go where you wanted to from the comfort of your own home, wouldn't you? And if one of them didn't do what you told it to do, who wouldn't send Superman in to punch a few holes in its hull?
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    Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
  8. Re:Cops always think that way... by Jaysyn · · Score: 3, Funny

    Just wanted to know your few details didn't help your argument at all.

    Have a nice day.

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    There is a war going on for your mind.
  9. Re:What's the problem? by plague3106 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Um, can you point to an actual case, not a TV episode?

  10. Re:Nope, SWAT teams do this all the time. by sssssss27 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Killed undead. Everyone is complaining how they busted in the wrong house but at least they had the decency to finish the job. All we need is an 80 year old grandmother zombie on our hands...

  11. Re:Cops always think that way... by MMC+Monster · · Score: 5, Funny

    Thank god no one else is allowed to yell police during a home invasion.

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    Help! I'm a slashdot refugee.
  12. Re:Identifying Juvenile by chord.wav · · Score: 4, Funny

    He won't. He's blind, remember?

  13. Re:What's the point...? by inKubus · · Score: 2, Funny

    1. Whistle into the phone at Jack Thompson
    2. ????
    3. Profit?

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    Cool! Amazing Toys.
  14. Phreak-Phreak-Phreak-Phreak, Dude-du-du-du-de! by V!NCENT · · Score: 1, Funny

    "Please deposit five dollars for the first minute"
    "Thank you"
    -"No-no-no-no-no... thank you"

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    Here be signatures
  15. Re:What's the point...? by gsn · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yes clearly Jack Thompson isn't a person.

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    Reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled.
  16. Re:What's the point...? by bwd234 · · Score: 3, Funny

    You see, there's a crime going on at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

    Actually there are quite a lot of crimes going on there!