Zines/phrack/12/9.txt

                               ==Phrack Inc.==

                     Volume Two, Issue 12, Phile #9 of 11

Rebuttal to Phrack Issue 8 and 11 (File 11)
Written by Scan Man.....

It has been requested of Taran King (Who doesn't agree with KL on this subj)
to put this somewhere in the next issue of Phrack (12) for proper
distribution. Whether he does or not I cannot say.


     Well a number of months have gone by now and I have been written about
accused of and had rebuttals written for me, all of which were about as clear
and factual as mud. And that includes the rebuttal that Telecomputist has in
effect tried to stand with me, and making matters only worse by inaccurate
information. But then all of this started with inaccurate information from
PWN, didn't it. KL has resorted to interfering in other peoples lives in order
to promote his so called news publication. To this I say, if you are going to
call it news then make it facts. I can buy the Enquirer if I want sensational-
istic readership boosting and inflated gossip. You do no justice to yourself
or your publication. I really shouldn't dignify any of this with comment but
shall as the entire matter has been blown so far out of proportion and since I
have been phreaking since these kiddies were still messing their diapers I
feel it a little more than an inconvenience, particularly since these
gentlemen (and I use the term loosely) can't seem to accomplish anything but
guesswork and conjecture and have cost me (and my wife and son) a $50,000 job
so the least I can do is get a few FACTS out.

First, I was (and I stress was) employed by a company called Telecom
Management Corporation. Notice the initials of this company (TMC). Telecom
Mgnt is a management company, and a management company manages other
companies. Among the companies it manages are 6 TMC Long Distance markets
(none of which are in Vegas), two of which are in Charleston where I live and
NY where I worked (up until two snotty nose teenagers (KL & SR) decided to
stick there nose where didn't belong). At any rate I was hired and paid by
Miami, lived in Charleston, and worked in NY. And yes with regard to your "he
must have been quite an asset to them," I was an asset to them. And KL you
seem to think it was surprising that they flew me to NY every week. I don't,
and I'm sure the other 100 businessmen on my flights who I traveled with
regularly would be surprised that they carried the unique distinction of being
somehow in the wrong for having their companies send them to NY every week.
I'll have to tell them this one for a good laff next time I get a 50,000
dollar a yr job that sends me to NY. Moving right along, I will add that I was
employed as a Systems Analyst. When I was originally hired, my interview was
by a fellow from Miami (Telecom Mgnt) and the interview was conducted in the
Chas office (one of the few times I was ever in there). This however doesn't
explain why Pauline Frazier and Ben Graves knew me or didn't care for me. The
reason for this was quite simple: they both knew about me and the bulletin
board and had also been trying to catch me stealing calls from there company
(don't know where they ever got that idea <grin>). At any rate they obviously
were quite unhappy because I got that job.

The next comment in rebut to Telecomputist which was a rebut to PWN Phrack
Issue 8 (what a nightmare), was, and I quote, "I claimed not to have any ties
with Vegas but didn't claim not to have ties with TMC." Boy talk about factual
journalism, really grabbing for straws aren't you. Anything to make me look
bad huh? Wonder why. Wouldn't be for more copies for your next issue would it?
As you could see at the beginning of this rebuttal I clearly stated that
Telecom Management ran 6 TMC markets as well as other companies and that they
were connected but separate from each other. Although none of it is relevant
to any of this, but that doesn't matter when you are out to get copies for
your next issue does it KL. At any rate this also shows where Telecomputist,
although trying to do a good thing, got their facts mixed up too by
misunderstanding the fact that Telecom Managements initials were the same as
TMC and were unrelated companies when actually they are.

In you next comments you say, "The rest of my statements are highly debatable"
(might try looking at a few (no make that all) of your own). You also said
that my statements have no proof (as if yours are so damn factual). First, I
don't have to prove a thing to assholes like you or anyone else for that
matter. You also state your decision (as if you have the right to make any
decisions about me, (shit boy you don't even know me, but you may soon) was to
do nothing because of lack of proof. And you call what you came up with truth?
Based on what, your vast personal knowledge of me, your knowledge of something
some phone phreak told you, because of having worked with me? As for providing
more ammunition to the idea, I'm not what I claim to be. I have claimed to be
nothing, it's you doing all the claiming. And there is no "ammunition" to be
had from the Telecomputist article as it was about as accurate as yours have
been. Shows you what two people who know nothing about nothing can do if they
put their minds to it. I might add that this is the first and last statement I
have personally written that has anything to do with any of this. You also
stated that, "after three months you had proof," yet you have shown only
words, not a speck of proof or truth. You have taken the Telecomputist article
apart and tried every way there was to tear it apart, most of which was
guesswork and innuendo. Examples of this are your quotes of, "Gee isn't that
awful expensive," "Notice how he didn't say he had no ties with TMC,"
"Statements were highly debatable," "Now that he has had a few months to come
up with a story," etc., that's some real facts there KL, you're a real
journalist who deals only with facts. You're not out for gossip or character
assassination. Riiiiiight. I've just been waiting for you to put your foot in
your mouth (in this case both feet). (Don't worry, I'm sure they will fit
nicely)

I think it's also time to tell the story of how all this got started. It's
really a comedy of errors (only I'm not laffing). As I stated earlier I was
paid by Miami, as that's where the home office was. This meant that on
occasion I also went to Miami as well as NY. In Dec of 85 I learned of a new
organization being formed called the CFCA (Communications Fraud Control
Association) although in addition to communications, they support computer and
credit security as well. Knowing that all the top security people were going
to be there and being a good phone phreak on the eternal quest for inside
knowledge, I wanted in on this conference which was held the 6th, 7th and 8th
of Feb 86 in Miami. Soooooo I convinced Telecom that we should check these
People out for some benefit to our company with regard to my job (Systems
Analyst) as after all it was my job to not only develop and operate the
companies' computers but keep them secure as well. So I had had the perfect
excuse to get me in the conference. They agreed with me and went for it and
paid for my flight down there and the conference fee. Moving right along, it
was the 1st day into the conference when just at lunch I was talking to a guy
from Pac NW Bell named Larry Algard (whose name I had forgotten til Sally Ride
showed up on the BBS saying Larry the Algardian had sent me a couple of weeks
later). At any rate while talking to this guy, a security agent from one of
the other LD companies that was there came up and said, "Aren't you Scan Man,
the guy that runs P-80?" Needless to say I about shit, and had to come up with
a damn good answer in about a 100th of a second. Knowing I was there legally
with the authority of my company, I answered back (in front of Larry Algard),
"Yes, but unbeknownst to my members it's an undercover board for TMC the
company I work for." And since Telecom Management Corporations initials were
TMC and they did manage 6 TMC LD companies I knew I was safe if he decided to
check me out, which I was worried about because earlier this same guy (the one
that said, "Aren't you Scan Man") had made a comment about the security of the
meeting and that he believed hackers had infiltrated the meeting. At any rate,
I was out of the fire with this guy and everyone (about 7 others) standing
around in our circle. It does however get worse. Two weeks later I got a new
user on the board named Sally Ride saying, "Larry The Algardian sent me" and
the msg subj was titled Scott Higginbotham.  I answered the msg asking him
where he got that name (Scott Higginbotham, my real name) but he thought I
meant where did he get the name Larry the Algardian (see msg reprint below).
His reply is as follows (actual copy of msg)

Scan Man, I got the name from an electronic memo from Sec. Mgr. Larry Algard
to his boss, George Reay. Since I've access to these files via PNB's UNIX AOS,
I read about Algard's meeting with Scott at a CFCA Conf. in Miami. It's nice
to be able to know what the other side is up to, but how did you infiltrate
CFCA? I was able to infiltrate PNB Sec. thru their own system. But, to attend
such a meeting of the toll carriers of the nation and learn their plans to
combat us is a real coup!  Understand where I'm coming from?
Sally Ride:::Space Cadet

Now from this msg you can see two things: first that Sally Ride is a two faced
little S.O.B., plus you can also see why he would think I was fed. I can
almost (again I stress almost) understand why he was suspicious. This msg also
points out that at least in his msgs to me he was of the opinion that I had
infiltrated the conference (not that his opinion about anything matters).
Then, on a social ladder climbing binge, he turns it around to me being one of
them (as if he was the only person in the world who could infiltrate
something). To this I say again, I was doing this when you were still in
diapers (SR). Even though I can legitimately understand why he would think I
was a fed as this at least "APPEARS" to be proof that I'm a fed, by that I
mean if I had broken into a telco security computer and found a msg saying
that so and so was running a sting board, I would be prone to believe it
myself. What Sally didn't know was that I had to say that at that conference
to keep from being fried myself when confronted by a security agent who
recognized me. But then what are the odds of someone breaking into the very
computer reading that very msg. If it were me and I was going to take this
information to the phreak community I would have to state the facts, which
were that he found this msg, "then print msg". I would not go into the
guessing that he and KL did in the original Phrack article (or this last one,
since the first obviously wasn't enough). But back to the point of all of
this, "WHAT WOULD YOU SAY STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF 500 TOP TELCO SECURITY
PEOPLE AND ONE WALKS UP AND SAYS, "AREN'T YOU SO AND SO THAT RUNS SO AND SO
BBS?"  See what I meant about a comedy of errors? Do you also see why
sometimes what is apparently the truth isn't always what it appears as. Do you
also see what I mean about gossip and poor journalism? This is not the first
time that Sally  or KL has tried to distort facts and interfere with people's
lives. I am referring to the past David Lightman incident. Instead of
belaboring this point, I shall, in the fashion of the great journalists (KL &
SR), reprint another msg from Sally regarding this other incident in order to
show what kind of individual we are dealing with (a 19 yr old who if he spent
as much time hacking and phreaking as he does stretching the facts and butting
into peoples lives might be a good phreak/hack).

From: Sally Ride

Well a couple of things..first about Phrack World News..the above mentioned
article about Blade Runner and David Lightman was credited to David Lightman
and Blade Runner and someone else, maybe K.L. I really don't know either David
or Blade that well, but when someone is accused of being a cop, or a phone
cop, or whatever, I see no reason to keep that a secret from the phreak-world.
Everyone is able to make their own conclusions based on the information
provided and considering the sources. Finally, and I hope this ends all
discussion about this on the "Elite" section of this BBS. Is that what is
allowed for discussion here? Really, character assassination should be kept to
the War Room of some other K-Rad luzer BBS. Secondly, thanks to all who kept
me up to date on the status of the BBSes that had suddenly dropped out of
sight all for separate unrelated reasons. I found The Twilight Zone, now the
Septic Tank, it's back at 203-572-0015, old accounts intact. Taran King's
Metal Shop Private should be back up within hours of this message, see PWN 6
for the details. And Stronghold East is still down as far as I know, should be
back around 7/1. Broadway's always been weird but turning informant? Will
wonders never cease? And, TUC has a board again? And, here I thought he was a
"Security Consultant", per W.57th St. Who knows who's side who is on?  Scan
Man, here's news from your neck of the woods. A company named Advanced
Information Management Inc. run by Robert Campbell. The June 23rd issue of
Communications Week says this guy and his 17 consultants are all over the BBS
world. They are based in Woodbridge, VA. Know anything about them? Sound like
some more narcs to worry about.  What is the true story on Ralph Meola? PWN 6
says he's the head of AT&T Security.  Has anyone ever heard of him before?
Sally Ride:::Space Cadet

I believe your words were, "character assassinations should be kept on some
k-rad Luzer war board" (try taking some of your own advice, or is it different
when it's your friend). You also made the statement that everyone should be
able to make their own decisions based on the sources. In my case it's two
guys that don't know me or really anything about me (KL & SR). Did anyone also
notice Sally's tendency toward a persecution complex? Everyone he mentioned in
the msg is thought to be a phone cop. I mean, really, take a good look at that
msg. It's quite obvious this boy is playing God and deciding who is and isn't
on who's side (you're not the only one who saves msgs). He's either attacked
or defended (mostly attacked or insinuated) about 5 people in one msg of being
the bad ole phone cop. Who set you two up as judge and jury? As to how I feel
about it, I'll use an old saying with a new twist, "If you want to hear the
jukebox, you damn well better have a quarter," better known as "pay the
piper". Does it sound like I'm upset? I mean how would you feel if you had
trouble keeping your family fed, heated, and housed because some asshole that
just hit puberty stuck their nose into your life. Tell your son, no he can't
go skating because you don't have the money because........etc.....Also I
might add that a number of us old guards who were phreaking before there were
computers and BBSes such as my old friend, Joe Engressia (Secrets of Little
Blue Box, Esquire 71) (avail P-80) and others have done actual security work
(not busting heads) defeating security systems on new payphones (test before
marketing) etc for yrs. I don't see anyone jumping up and yelling phone cop on
these guys. People who are admitted security people who also claim to be
phreaks are ignored. So why all the stink with me? In closing I would like to
say that I have little doubt that in their usual fashion KL and/or SR will
attempt to go over every word I have typed looking for more SO CALLED FACTS.
Any way you try to reword it will only be more twisting and supposition.  Sooo
be my guest. You will get no more comments from me. The next time either of
you two hear from me, you better have your Quarter for the jukebox cause it
will be time to pay the piper.

P.S. KL do me a favor and call my board and let me know whether you will be at
this phreak conf in St Louis. If so I recommend old cloths, and clean
underwear.


(Oh yes and a quarter.)

Scan Man (3-10-87)