yeah analogue networks such as most of americas are a piece of piss to listen in on.
as jase says digi networks such as GSM (oz, europe,japan) are a whole nother ball game due to the nature of their packet exchanging....
BUT
and this is where it gets scary. i know for a fact that the introduction of GSM was delayed in OZ by at least twelve months while law enforcement agencies satisified themselves they could easily monitor calls.
this is done, rumour has it, at a very high level ie within the phone company infrastructure. this is hardcore stuff so its only done with very bad boys an its still not admissable evidence but it is still possible.
this works hand in hand with the scanning software that can pick key words out telephone convos. this stuff can scan hundreds of call simultaneously, but consider how many tens of thousands of phones are used in the cbd at every moment.... mind you the tech is probably scalable...
most people that get done in by their fone use get caught out but the numbers they have called and how often etc, stuff you can get of a phone bill, which is very admissable.
always talk in code and use a no name/no bill phone where possible.
...waves you phreakk flag high!
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.... he who makes a beast of himself, rids himself of the pain of being a man...
[This message has been edited by johnboy (edited 30 January 2000).]