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The Telecom Digest for Mon, 10 May 2021
Volume 40 : Issue 130 : "text" format

table of contents
Your old phone number is a hacker's dream – what you need to know
Biggest ISPs paid for 8.5 million fake FCC comments opposing net neutrality
California: AT&T's 'Harvesting' Scam

Message-ID: <20210508021203.44AF8817@telecom2018.csail.mit.edu> Date: Sat, 8 May 2021 02:12:03 +0000 (UTC) From: Moderator <telecomdigestsubmissions@remove-this.telecom-digest.org> Subject: Your old phone number is a hacker's dream - what you need to know By Paul Wagenseil Recycled phone numbers open up previous owners to attack If you've ever changed your mobile phone number, especially in the past few years, then you may have created a huge security and privacy risk for yourself. https://www.tomsguide.com/news/phone-number-reuse-risks
Message-ID: <20210508020754.C6EB6817@telecom2018.csail.mit.edu> Date: Sat, 8 May 2021 02:07:54 +0000 (UTC) From: Moderator <telecomdigestsubmissions@remove-this.telecom-digest.org> Subject: Biggest ISPs paid for 8.5 million fake FCC comments opposing net neutrality ISP-funded astroturfing used millions of real names and faked consent records. By Jon Brodkin The largest Internet providers in the US funded a campaign that generated "8.5 million fake comments" to the Federal Communications Commission as part of the ISPs' fight against net neutrality rules during the Trump administration, according to a report issued today by New York State Attorney General Letitia James. Nearly 18 million out of 22 million comments were fabricated, including both pro- and anti-net neutrality submissions, the report said. One 19-year-old submitted 7.7 million pro-net neutrality comments under fake, randomly generated names. But the astroturfing effort funded by the broadband industry stood out because it used real people's names without their consent, with third-party firms hired by the industry faking consent records, the report said. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/05/biggest-isps-paid-for-8-5-million-fake-fcc-comments-opposing-net-neutrality/
Message-ID: <20210508021832.4ABD4817@telecom2018.csail.mit.edu> Date: Sat, 8 May 2021 02:18:32 +0000 (UTC) From: Moderator <telecomdigestsubmissions@remove-this.telecom-digest.org> Subject: California: AT&T's 'Harvesting' Scam By David Rosen COMMUNICATIONS POLITICS--If you live in California and still use legacy Plain Old Telephone Service ("POTS") from AT&T, you are likely getting ripped-off big time. And if you are an AT&T POTS customer anywhere in the U.S., you are also likely getting ripped-off. https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php/cw/los-angeles/21698-california-at-t-s-harvesting-scam

End of telecom Digest Mon, 10 May 2021
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