A Sprint PCS Trick

by quel

We all love to hate cell phone companies.  But some in particular, like Sprint PCS, seem to go out of their way to try to screw you over.  First, have you noticed that it costs you minutes to call your voicemail?

For those of you with free Sprint-to-Sprint minutes this makes even less sense.  You might find this trick useful:

11-XXX-XXX-XXXXX T ** TT XXX-XXX-XXXX #

The first number is any other Sprint cell phone number.  Don't worry, their phone won't ring.  The second number is your phone.  If you call your voicemail in this fashion, then it will be billed as Sprint-to-Sprint minutes and you will be able to check your voicemail for free, like you should have been able to all along.

This was presented on Off The Hook not too long ago without an explanation.  If you notice the dialing of two ones, it is obviously an erroneous number.  But instead of a regular misdialed number message, you get Sprint's attempt to trap the number.  As this message starts, a "* *" will drop you into the Sprint voicemail system and then you are just left to dial your number.  (The "T" are two second pauses and how Sprint phones let you store them.)  I am quite surprised Sprint hasn't tried to shut this down yet.  Maybe this article will prompt action on their part.

The fun with Sprint's voicemail doesn't stop there.  I'm sure many of you don't have your voicemail prompt you for your PIN out of convenience.  Hopefully, you will shortly be convinced to change the settings to always prompt.

If you have the actual person's phone then this is a trivial "hack," but without physical access to their phone, we spend time with our dear friend the phone op.  Simply "ANI Fail" by op-diverting, and then supply them the number to the phone you want to call and then supply your destination number.  Yes, this will appear as if you are calling from the ANI to the same ANI.  If the op gives you trouble, you can always say something about your phone keypad having a number that's bad so you can't use your cell to call your voicemail.

Now you are in the target's voicemail, remotely or locally, unless they require the PIN to be entered.  But, wait the fun doesn't stop, do you want to know their PIN?  (Perhaps it's their ATM pin or some other valuable number that they use everywhere?)  Dial 3 for "Personal Options," then 2 for "Administrative Options," then 1 to turn "Skip Pass Code" on.  It will then immediately tell you the current code.

At this point you have total access to their voicemail, as well as their PIN and the target is utterly helpless.

I'm sure this trick will work to get you into voicemails on many other cell phone companies, and other systems.  I hope more of you will learn to not have your PINs, passwords, etc. saved for you due to the grave security threat this poses.

Shouts to amatus, lucky225, arron, Ncongrunt, Cavorite, and clarkk.

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