426 DEAR HACKER

426 DEAR HACKER

Of course I didn’t say anything. Of course they played games like “Let’s just go inside and talk this all over.” I have always known better than to keep anything in my apartment that could incriminate me, but why attempt to make their job any easier?

Well, that was six months ago. I am still in jail. That night I was driven 250 miles to a small, conservative farm town,

a place I had never been to in my life. At my arraignment three days later, I found out that I was being charged with six counts of com- puter fraud-related charges, and my bond is a hefty $150,000, cash only. My parents live in another part of the country, and I have few connections with them anymore, and, unlike your average juvenile, I can’t call mummy and daddy up and expect them to come running, cash in hand.

Now I can handle having to serve time for my own mistakes, but the way I was caught will show you that everybody who does anything illegal better be careful.

In February, 1988, I met with a person who I had known through various bulletin boards. I was going to school in the state he was from, so we decided to meet each other.

I drove and met him, ate dinner, and talked. He and I got along quite well, but at no point did he ever know my “real” name. Of course in the “modem community,” relationships like that are common and understood.

That was the last time I saw him. About a month later, this friend was visited by state police as well

as security people from Sprint. Apparently, another “hacker” (I’m using that term loosely) had an argument with said friend, and, as a type of revenge, called Sprint Security and reported that said friend was a habitual code abuser. It took very little time for security people from Sprint and his local telco to put a DNR-type register on his two step-by-step phone lines.

Two months and 30 rolls of DNR paper later, a search warrant was obtained. His residence (he is a juvenile) was searched, and all com- puter and telephone equipment was taken and brought to a state police post for examination. At this time, said friend was smart enough to

A C U LT U R E O F R E B E L S

not talk without a lawyer present, so the police left, leaving him with his parents, no charges pending at that time.

He was smart to keep quiet. Too bad this trend did not continue. Many people underestimate police investigators or the FBI. Don’t ever

let yourself be part of that group. My friend was questioned several times after that. I now have all tran-

scripts of all conversations. He told various names of people all over the country who had supplied him with codes, passwords, accounts, etc. He also said that he had a friend who was currently living in the state, who was involved with various activities similar to his own. He told the police what he knew of me, which wasn’t too much, as well as what he thought my first and last name was.

Some time later, the police returned and asked him if he had any more information, as they had been able to find nothing on this other person

he had mentioned. He could think of little else, except that he thought

I had lived in a particular place prior to my living in his state. The police wrote to that place and state, giving a basic age and descrip-

tion, and asked for copies of any mug shots they might have fitting that description.

Many years ago, some friends and I were arrested for trying to pur- chase alcohol underage. Although the charges were dropped, that picture stayed on file.