Security Of Your System; Preventing Toll Fraud - AT&T MERLIN LEGEND Release 3.1 Maintenance And Troubleshooting Manual

Customer Support Information

Security of Your System:

Preventing Toll Fraud

As a customer of a new telephone system, you should be aware that there
is an increasing problem of telephone toll fraud. Telephone toll fraud can
occur in many forms, despite the numerous efforts of telephone
companies and telephone equipment manufacturers to control it. Some
individuals use electronic devices to prevent or falsify records of these
calls. Others charge calls to someone else's number by illegally using lost
or stolen calling cards, billing innocent parties, clipping on to someone
else's line, and breaking into someone else's telephone equipment
physically or electronically. In certain instances, unauthorized individuals
make connections to the telephone network through the use of the Remote
Access features of your system.
The Remote Access features of your system, if you choose to use them,
permit off-premises callers to access the system from a remote telephone
by using a telephone number with or without a barrier code. The system
returns an acknowledgment signaling the user to key in his or her barrier
code, which is selected and administered by the system manager. After
the barrier code is accepted, the system returns dial tone to the user. In
Release 3.1 and later systems, barrier codes are by default restricted from
making outside calls. In prior releases, if you do not program specific
outward calling restrictions, the user will be able to place any call normally
dialed from a telephone associated with the system. Such an off-premises
network call is originated at, and will be billed from, the system location.
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Maintenance and Troubleshooting