-=> Quoting Rick Collins to Mike Hudson <=-
        From CuD Issue 9.10
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 10:15:29 -0500 (EST)
From: Audrey Helou 
Subject: File 1--Moldova Internet Scam
The Detroit Free Press ran an article that may be of interest to CuD
subscibers.  It appears in the February 20, 1997 edition of the Detroit
News and is entitled "Feds expose Internet ring that cost thousands in
phone bills."
According to the article, the federal government busted an Internet scam
offering "free" erotic photos that came with software that secretly took
over users' computers and ran up huge international long-distance phone
bills.
It seems that some sites, such as www.beavisbutthead.com and
www.sexygirls.com had advertizements for "all nude all free" pictures.
However, getting the pictures required down a Windows 95 software
program that once installed, took control of the modem, cut off the
local Internet service provider, and dialed a number in the former
Soviet republic of Moldova, in Eastern Europe.  The user, unaware of a
change, would continue to surf the web while racking up foreign line
toll charges of $2 to $3 a minute.  According to the article, the modem
kept the connection, even after the user had logged off, until the
computer was itself turned off.
Profits were shared between the Moldovan phone company and the scam
artists.
The scheme was discovered by AT&T Corp. through its consumer watch
bureau, which monitors clients' phone bills for irregularities.
Consumers, whom the FTC says were defrauded of perhaps $1 million, may
get some money back, since the FTC won a U.S. District Court order in
New York seizing assets of the defendants: Audiotex Connect Inc., Promo
Line Inc.,  Electronics Form Management and the people associated with
them, Anna Grella, William Gannon and David Zeng.
-The Visionary
visionary@brazerko.com
visionary@aura.title14.com
Big Brother is watching you.
You are watching Big Brother.
You are Big Brother... watching...
... Only 128,243,596 sec. to the Second Coming !
--- WtrGate+ 0.93.PRE8-d beta sn 116
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