82 lines
4.2 KiB
Plaintext
82 lines
4.2 KiB
Plaintext
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HOW TO OBTAIN NON-LISTED PHONE NUMBERS 8/1/95
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Non-published phone numbers are omitted from phone directories, but are
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easily obtained by calling directory assistance. Non-listed phone numbers
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are unavailable through either source, and telephone companies are becoming
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aware of some of the methods previously used to scam the numbers from
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unsuspecting local operators and service employees. The value of privacy to
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their non-listed customers is of great importance, and they try their best
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to assure that privacy.
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Non-listed phone numbers can be obtained from long-distance carriers (for
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the time being, anyway) in a limited number of circumstances. A non-listed
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phone number was obtained in this way in under two minutes (your milage may
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vary).
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I desired to obtain the non-listed phone number of Mr. Otto Feenbohm of
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Pendangle, KY. The area code is 502, and Pendangle only has one exchange,
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827. (This is, of course, a ficticious account with no basis whatsoever in
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reality, hence all names, addresses, and phone numbers are invented, with
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the exception of the AT&T customer service phone number.) I know the name,
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address, and phone number of a friend, relative, or business partner of Mr.
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Feenbohm's for whom a call to Mr. Feenbohm is long-distance, and who I know
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has called Mr. Feenbohm in the last three months. In this case, I know that
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Otto's brother, Gunther, lives at 555 Castamilla Boulevard, Los Angeles,
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90062, and calls him regularly. I use directory assistance to find that
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Gunther's phone number is 213-555-0277.
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For the moment I make the assumption that Gunther's long-distance carrier
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is AT&T. (It's a fair assumption. Most of the country uses either AT&T,
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MCI, or Sprint.) I make the following phone call.
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I dial 1-800-222-0300 (AT&T Billing information).
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Depending on when you call, the system may ask you to touch tone your home
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phone number. If it does, touch 213-555-0277 (Gunther's number). Touch '1'
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to speak to a customer service representative about a billing question.
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Her: "AT&T, this is Melissa speaking, how may I help you?"
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You: "Yeah, I've got a question about some charges that showed up on my
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long distance bill."
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Her: "What is your home phone number?"
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You: "213-555-0277."
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At this point, if AT&T is *not* Gunther's long-distance carrier, you'll
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have to come up with a plausible reason why Melissa shows no record of that
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phone number with AT&T. Either that or hang up. Then call the billing
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information number for MCI or Sprint until you find who he's with. If you
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have no luck, try a different friend or relative of Otto.
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Her: May I please have the name the account is billed to?
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You: Gunther Feenbohm.
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Her (sometimes): And the billing address?
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You: 555 Castamilla Boulevard, Los Angeles, 90062
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Her: Now, what was your question?
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You: Yeah, there are a couple charges on last month's bill that I don't
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recognize at all to a place in Kentucky...Pendangle, I think it was.
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Her (as she looks up Gunther's long distance charges): No, I don't find any
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charges...that was the July bill?
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You: Oh, I don't have the bill in front of me. I guess it may have been the
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month before last.
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Her: One moment. Yes, here it...
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You: It was a five-oh-two number I think. Five-oh-two,
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eight-two-seven...um...um...I don't have my glasses on, I can't quite
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read my handwriting...
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Her (her computer screen doesn't tell her that she's looking at a
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non-listed number, and she invariably helps by filling in the last
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four digits): Three-two-two-six.
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You: Yes, that's it. Who does that number belong to?
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Her: That number is an Otto Feenbohm.
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You: Oh, that must be the calls my wife made to the cousins who just moved.
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Yeah, thanks alot. That number again was..?
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Her: Five-oh-two, eight-two-seven, three-two-two-six.
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You: Thank you very much. Bye. (Always be polite to the people you scam.
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It's a karma thing.)
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If anything goes wrong, just hang up and try again with a different
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customer service representative. I tried it first with a number on my own
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long-distance bill, and got the last four digits of the number with no
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problem, then tried it for real and got my desired non-listed number in
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under two minutes. For free.
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