From: del@fnx.uucp (Dag Erik Lindberg)
Newsgroups: seattle.general,pnw.general
Subject: How to defeat CID, ANI, and Caller Return
Date: 15 Sep 92 00:11:01 GMT
Distribution: pnw
Organization: I/Ovations

I thought some of you might be interested in the following information
on how to defeat not only Caller ID, but ANI (for 800 numbers + 911) as
well as the dreaded "Return Dial".  This information is paraphrased from
the excellent publication "2600, The Hacker Quarterly".  This magazine
is, IMHO, required reading for any administrator of a multi-user system,
as well as anyone interested in privacy or security issues.  I initially
investigated this magazine in self defense after my system was 'cracked'
and made unusable, and found the magazine to be of high information
content/quality.

HOW TO DEFEAT CALLER ID, ANI, AND RETURN CALL SERVICES

1) Calling Card Method.  Use your calling card (from your local telco) to
   place a 0-(areacode)-number as though it were a long distance call,
   when the tone is played, enter your card number.  There will
   be a surcharge of approx. 40 cents, but no per-minute charge.  The
   call will appear to CID as though coming from out-of-calling-area so
   that CID is not available.
2) Operator Assisted Method.  Same as above, except wait till the operator
   comes on line.  The operator will tell you that you can dial direct,
   simply tell them to put the call through anyway.  Charge will be about
   $1.50
3) Alternate Carrier Method.  Use an alternate carrier, i.e. Sprint, etc.
   which is *not* your primary long distance carrier to place the call as
   though it were a long distance call.  Billing will be as if you placed
   a long distance call within your area code.  As with 1 & 2, a CID unit
   will display "Out of Area".  The *69 Caller Return service will hear
   a recording saying "the number is not in the serving area".
4) Call from a cellular phone.  CID, ANI, and Return Call do not work from
   cellular phones.
5) Payphone method.  Certainly the least convenient, but also the least
   expensive.
6) Hardware Call Forwarding.  Use a call forwarding device attached to
   an unused/unlisted phone.  This costs about $100 to set up, plus you
   must pay the monthly cost of the additional phone line.  Return Call
   will ring to a non-existant phone.  CID will list the phone #, but
   again it is a non-existant phone.

2600 also describes several methods to defeat *69 Return Call (but not CID).
This is usefull if you call an answering machine or voice mail and don't want
the callee to be able to Return Call.

As you can see, the much bally-hoo'd CID service doesn't really offer much
in terms of real security for the callee: it is far too easy to hide.
Your only option is to refuse to answer any calls from unrecognized or
undisplayed phone numbers, which prevents freinds from calling you via
phone booths, phones other than their home phone, or anybody calling from
a cellular phone.

It certainly doesn't offer anything for the *caller*.  In exchange for
this 'feature', you now have to jump through extra-cost hoops to call
businesses (or other) numbers where you would like to be relatively
anonymous.

While I support the 'rights' of anybody that wants CID to have it, that
support is conditional on their CID *not* interfering with my own
'rights' to relative privacy without increased effort or cost.  (Note
that 'rights' should be italicized as I am not at all sure how real
'rights' apply to this situation.) In any case, I am not, at this point,
convinced that YOU can have your Caller ID service without ME paying
prices I am not willing to pay.

-- 
del AKA Erik Lindberg                             uunet!pilchuck!fnx!del
                          Who is John Galt?
Newsgroups: seattle.general