From: thug@phantom.com (Murdering Thug)
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 93 07:17:06 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re:  Poor Man's Anonymous Remailer
In-Reply-To: <199302250904.AA03970@well.sf.ca.us>
Message-ID: <m0nRkDb-000jw5C@phantom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


gg@well.sf.ca.us writes:
> Duncan's posting about AT&T mail as a "poor man's anonymous mailbox" misses
> one crucial fact.  The moment you dial an 800 number, you generate a record
> of your phone number via ANI, which means AT&T gets that information in
> realtime and can probably correlate it with your phone account and service
> address and name.  If you want anonymity, never ever ever use any service
> which requires you call in via an 800 number.  

There's an easy way to prevent your number from being passed to an 800
number owner via ANI.  Simply place the call using a TSPS/OSPS ("0") operator.
Say "I'm having trouble dialing 800-xxx-xxxx, could you please place the
call for me?" Once the call goes out over another trunk line, your number
is not passed on.  If you have ever dialed those ANI "Demo" 800 numbers
that read back your number via synthesized voice, and then tried calling
them again using a TSPS operator, you'll know exactly what I'm talking
about. This is at least the way it worked a while ago, I don't know if it
still applies or of they modified TSPS consoles pass on the number.
Perhaps Phiber could clarify this a bit and tell us if this still works,
and if it still works in all areas, or what areas it would not work in.  

Still, like I recommended in my previous post, the best way to implement
a poor man's anonymous mailer scheme is to use a notebook/handheld PC
and making all calls from payphones using coins or 800 dial-up, never using
your calling card.


Murdering Thug