Fighting Back: Tolling

First there was Slamming followed by Cramming. Then along came Scamming with the notorious calling unit fiasco, and now we have Tolling as the con artists gain unfettered access to your long distance lines.

Yep! Just when you thought it was safe in "Phoneland", the con artists have developed something new.

And what is Tolling? Well "Tolling" is an acronym used for "Transfer to an Outside Line", or TOL. Tolling itself is the “art” of stealing phone service by conning the receptionist, switchboard operator, or other employee in an unsuspecting business into giving the con artist unfettered access to their long distance service. How the Toller gets access to a company’s long distance service is a story in itself.

The Toller: How He Succeeds

Usually the con artist succeeds because they focus on a major human frailty: greed. But in the case of Tolling, they focus on fear: fear of losing the company’s long distance service due to a possible malfunction on the part of the phone company.

Tolling Methods

The Toller, posing as an outside phone operator or a phone company repairman, convinces a receptionist, PBX operator or Centrex user that something terrible may occur if they don’t assist them. Once convinced a possible calamity will impact their long distance service, these loyal employees are quick to help remedy the situation in the quickest possible way. From that point forward, the Toller may select any one of many possible entry points into the system. Among the most frequently used are:

 • after calling in from the outside and misrepresenting themselves as a telephone repairman, the Toller will ask for a dial tone in order to measure and adjust connectivity levels or some such ruse. Once a dial tone has been provided, the Toller has unfettered access to their long distance and international providers.

•  after calling in from the outside and misrepresenting themselves as a telephone repairman, the Toller will request the receptionist transfer them to the "test number 910-102-880." But the “9" initiates the outside dial tone and the remaining set of digits, 10102880 is the access code for an AT&T operator (any one of several hundred other operator access codes could also be substituted in such as 10-10-9000 for MCI/Worldcom).

•  after calling in from the outside and misrepresenting themselves as a telephone repairman, the Toller will request extension "900" or "800." But like the above situation, the 9 or 8 initiates a call setup for an outside dial tone and 00 is the dial pattern that provides the long distance operator.

•  after calling in and claiming they are in the company’s wire closet (or some other logical point) the Toller will request the receptionist’s help in testing their lines to clear up a problem. To accomplish their goal, they’ll then convince the receptionist to press transfer, nine - zero - zero on their console and then hang-up. Once again, the digits “900" initiates the call setup and gives them the long distance operator.

Another ploy used by the Toller and involving an unsuspecting employee is to call into a large business and asking an operator for such and such an extension. When the phone is answered, the Toller claims the operator sent him to the wrong extension and asks to be sent back to the operator. When the call is received back by the receptionist, the call appears to be an in-house call or transfer. The Toller will then ask for an outside line or ask to be transferred out while posing as an employee of the firm. From there, the Toller can make their long distance or international call.

And... It’s Widespread!

If you think this can't happen to your business just ask around at your next business mixer. Informal surveys suggest 20% of businesses have been Tolling victims in the last three months alone... with an average loss of $550 per day! And rarely, if ever, will a phone company let you of the hook for expenses incurred by the Toller. After all, the phone system is yours and as such, it’s your responsibility to guard its use.

Preventative Measures!

The best defense is a good offence. Instruct your receptionist/operators into the “art” of Tolling by giving them a copy of this report to read and understand. Conspicuously post this report in the  immediate area of the switchboard and on the company bulletin board.

If your phone system has a built in lockout or security feature, set the access level high enough to minimize employee availability of outside lines.

If your system doesn’t have lockout capabilities, instruct and alert your employees regarding the dangers posed by strangers calling in from the outside. Insist they read and understand this report. Remember, forewarned is forearmed and your employees are your first line of defense!

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