Cloned ... and Go Figure! (non-technical)

[KCW]

Hi list,
	I can't help but to point out few things.

On Sun, 18 Jan 1998, Del Gittinger wrote:
> ----------
> > From: Zen Reinhardt <
> 
> > My question to the world is this.  Do the cell- service providers monitor
> > account activity the way credit card companies do? 

This really depends on your procider and location.  Sometimes it's not
worth the money to buy extra equipments, hire extra staff, and upgrade the
software...etc.  If I can still remember correctly, FCC only allow two
cellular service providers in a given area.  So they've always been making
big $$ (until digital and PCS becomes more popular and ultimately replace 
cellular.)

> Add to the evidence some calls originating from the
> > metro Detroit area within the same hour as a roaming call originating
> from
> > Massachusetts.  

This is quite simple to explain.  The first bad guy got your account info
and shared with his/her friends.  

I'm afraid that you won't avoid cloning just by turning you phone off all
the time.  As far as the average cloning technic is concerned, a cell
phone can't be cloned unless a call is made.  The only important info the
bad guy need is your cellphone # and your cellphone serial #.  Once s/he
has both, s/he can modify (software modification ) her/his cell phone
number and serial number and the rest are for your imagination. 

Have they told you that digital and/or PCS phones are impossible to clone
and to eardrop?  Well, they're only trying to sell more phones, IMHO.  In
reality, it always can be done.  It's not popular because it's so much
easier to eardrop or clone regular cell phones (an old radio scanner would
be sufficient). Just remember not to give out your credit card info over a
cell phone conversation (even using the touch-tone to "key-in"  credit
card # or calling card numbers)

Enough said, how could you prevent all this?  All I can suggest is - use
your common sense.  Keep your cell phone ON most of the time so the bad
guys won't be able to use your phone number to get free incoming services!
Try not to place calls in places where bad guys are waiting in a car
(probably with a modified cell phone connected to a laptop) parked in
local mall parking lot, highway service station parking lot...etc. 
Fortunately, the bad guys are only interested in the first second of your
call when your phone sends out critical data.  BTW, if you see _anyone_,
particularly a teen, staring at a laptop in a car parked in the corner of
a parking lot, feel free to report to police! 

Personally, I'm not concernt about cloning at all (your cell phone
provider will cover the cost, so why bother?  They're the one who
neglected your privicy (eardropping!) in the first place.)  I use PCS
myself because it's a little harder to eardop PCS conversations.  Other
than that, it's clearer and the service is much much cheaper :)  Oh, and
the battery life is way much longer, too!  For those of you who are email
addicts, I believe you can check you messages with your phone in the
future. 

Hope this helps

KW