A recent discussion I was having with another telecom-buff friend of mine brought back to light one of my favorite little cases of hackers and organized crime: the great Las Vegas telephone racket. Which really, for all we know, could still be taking place today.
“Then, all of a sudden, the phones stopped ringing,” says [Larry Duke] Reubel, gravel in his voice. “There’s no reason for the phones to stop ringing.”
[…]
“Going over your testimony, you seem to blame Sprint for the loss of your business,” [counselor Patrick] Riley says, with mock bewilderment. “Is that correct?”
“They’re providing a service to me, and they’re not providing the security they should,” Reubel replies. “So, yes.”
Although the article dates to 2002, it’s quite an interesting read, and given that its implications are still relevant today, it’s a stark reminder of how open to attack a device usually seen as low-tech to most really can be. The full article can be read here.