 The text comes from a data file written by and for IC members.

                      HACK YOUR OWN CODES. 

Don't leech from someone else. Having codes is like having sex,
if you don't protect yourself you'll end up with a venereal
disease. You have no idea where a code has been before you got
your hands on it, when it was hacked or how long it's been in
circulation. Time is a very important factor, the longer a code
has been in use, the greater the risk.

           DON'T STAY ON A CODE MORE THAN THREE DAYS. 

 Don't give the suckers an even break. To run a trace, MCI needs 
to shuffle a lot  of papers. Ain't that nice. Paper work takes 
time, and it's highly unlikely they could accomplish the feat in 
three days. It's even more unlikely  they would even know  
they've been phreaked for at least a week. All company's have 
thirty day billing cycles, if you started using the code the day 
after the bills went out, you'd have twenty nine days left to 
play with it. The customer gets his billing and b****!es up a
 storm. The company now has the option of setting up a trap, but
 alas, they notice  you haven't used the code in three weeks and
 have no destination number to PIN. If you phreaked the code one
 day before the billing cycle ends, the customer may notice
 right away. Figure you have two days for it to reach the
 customer. If he yells right away it takes a few more days for
 the security department to process the paperwork for the trace.
 By that time you're long gone.

           DON'T STAY ON A NODE MORE THAN THREE DAYS.

 If you insist on burning the same company, you're going to
 develop a pattern. You call your girl friend in Alaska every
 d***!ed day using the same company. It doesn't take a genius to
 predict what you're going to do tomorrow. They know where you
 enter their system and where you're going to. You've given them
 everything they need to run a good trace. Spread the wealth a
 little. Use US Telecom, then ITT, Lexitel, Skyline, Metro and a
 few of the 800's if you like. Spread it out. These people have
 no way of comparing. So you can screw Peter, Paul and the rest
 of the Apostles with no worry. Just don't be a dip stick and get lazy.

 Everyone is worried about THE TRACE. Don't be. It's no big deal
 for AT&T, after all it is their network, but for the leech
 services it's an entirely different matter. This is why we don't
 mess around with AT&T except through secondary accesses like
 PBX's or Diverters. This is the scenario MCI's security
 department will run down.  They call up a number you've
 called.......

"Hello, this is Inspector Bulls***! with MCI. Did you receive a
 phone call from the 212 area code on November 22, 1945 at 4:00
 A. M.? "

"You didn't?"

"We've traced fourteen calls to this number in the last
 two weeks, by the way, who am I speaking with?" 

"Well Mrs. Blabbermouth, perhaps someone else in your household 
 received the calls? "

"I see, your daughter has a boyfriend in New York.

"I'm afraid  he's in some serious trouble Mrs. B. If
 you'll cooperate with me we won't pursue this matter with your
 daughter."

"That's correct, little Susie Blabbermouth won't be involved. It 
 would be a shame to cause you folks trouble, after all she
 didn't actually make the calls.""

 All I need is the boy's name and phone number."

"Let me see if I have that right."Jimmy Phreaker at  
 212-555-1212?"

"Thank you Mrs. B you've been very helpful."

 The point is, if  Bulls***! had really run traces he wouldn't be
 calling to con the information. The exchange is typical of those
 used by most phone companys and illustrate several important
 issues.

 Make sure the person you're calling is cool and there's no
 chance  someone else could rat on you. It is very unlikely MCI
 will make such a call if you use the IC's Rules of Phreaking.
 Yet, if it were to occur these are your friend's options...
 1. HANGUP
 2. "f***! YOU"...THEN HANG UP
 3. "I WAS WATCHING MIAMI VICE AND YOU INTERRUPT ME WITH
    THIS CRAP. f***! YOU"....HANG UP.
 4. If you want to be nice about it; "I don't know what you're   
    talking about.....HANG UP.

 The problem is now resolved. Remember these guys are like
 rabid dogs in heat, they're excellent con artists. Believe
 nothing you hear. You don't have to talk to them. If they had
 anything on you they'd be standing at your door with a search
 warrant. Their abilities in this area are very restricted. They
 operate by manipulating your fear and you have nothing to fear
 but your own fear. Don't try to come up with some lame
 explanation, you know you received the call and they know it. So
 don't make an a**! out of yourself trying to explain away the
 obvious - HANG UP!

 What happens if your are caught? 
 
 Congratulate yourself on being an a**hole. The number of phreaks 
 caught are so small you have now qualified for membership  in a
 really elite group of jerks.
 Inspector Bulls***! now has several options. 

 Grab your computer......... this will be done no matter what.

 Grab your data files and any hard copy you have laying around.
 This to help identify other subversives and also to supply
 incriminating information about you. 

 Try to scare you into a confession. Standard operating procedure
 - keep your f***!ing mouth shut. You have nothing to gain by 
 talking and a much to lose.

 If you're a minor you can forget about jail time, an adult
 is looking at a couple of weeks in the slam - may-be.

 Realize this, they don't really want your a**! as much as they 
 want THE MONEY. That's right boys and girls the buck talks loud 
 and clear.
 
 If you're caught, you've broken every one of the IC's
 rules. At worst you're looking at a couple of thousand in phone
 bills. Get a lawyer to do your talking for you, that'll be about
 a five hundred dollar retainer. If the company is willing to
 settle for the money, and your computer, pay it - it's cheaper
 in the long run. If they want you in the calaboose then fight
 it. As a first time offender the odds of you actually getting
 time are slim. Incidentally, Inspector Bulls***! will drop a
 little extra on the bill for good measure. Have the attorney
 demand they produce their records of all "alleged phone
 conversations". 

 In fighting a phreaking case you'll want to have a jury trial. 
 The technology behind the running of a trace is so
 complicated even a halfassed lawyer could confuse the
 average layman. He can make Inspector Bulls***! describe
 switching down to atomic subparticles if he wants and by the
 time he gets to how a trace works the jury would be so confused
 you'd skate on a "reasonable doubt". It would be
 interesting to see if a sharp shark could subpoena the actual
 equipment used to run the trace. I don't think MCI would
 care to have one of their computers offline for the time it
 would take to have "independent" examiners checking out the
 functionality of the switching mechanisms. 
 
 To phreak or not to phreak. It's a question only you can answer 
 for yourself.


