Hacking Ozemail in the 1990

Offgrid on 12/02/2022 - 19:08
Last edited 12/02/2022 - 20:01

I was apart of a group of hackers in Newcastle who were hacking Ozemail between 1995 and 1998.

During this time Ozemail cost $5 per hour to use for dial up 56k. The hacking group considered of 52 people at I personally knew of including Julian Assange but probably a lot more. The group was using credit card fraud to access the internet.

In 1998 one of the members of our hacking group worked for an internet security company in Sydney and told us the AFP had seemed their professional expertise to help find people using credit card fraud against Ozemail.

He inform the group and the credit card fraud stopped instantly.

In 1992 Malcolm Turnbull bought his share of Ozemail for $550,000. In 1999, knowing it was full of credit card fraud, he sold his share to WorldCom for $59.9mill.

I personally was never associated with the credit card fraud. I did however use username and passwords that were created with credit card fraud.

In 2016 I submitted a statuary declaration to the AFP giving them full details including the naming of names.

The AFP allowed the sale of Ozemail to go thought knowing it was full of credit card fraud.

I think its important this information is made public.

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Comments

  • rektrading on 12/02/2022 - 19:45

    Was hacking illegal back in 1995?

    It was called cracking back in those days.

    • Offgrid on 12/02/2022 - 19:47

      They were the good days. The AFP had no idea.

      I wouldn't do it now though.

    • bmerigan on 12/02/2022 - 22:58
      +4

      Hackers the movie was made in 1995. Not Crackers.

      • rektrading on 12/02/2022 - 23:04
        +1

        Crackers predates the movie by 20Y.

        • BartholemewH on 13/02/2022 - 12:51
          +4

          Phreaking is where it's at.

  • Offgrid on 12/02/2022 - 19:46

    Keeping in mind how much Turnbull appointed the AFP aft he became prime minister.

    TheAF P aren't the cleanest bunch going around.

    • serpserpserp on 13/02/2022 - 15:04
      +1

      Yeah the AFP are the mods on WP now.

  • Mechz on 12/02/2022 - 20:11
    +1

    Good story OP, it's definitely interesting stuff.

    In the 90s I had 2 high school mates doing work experience at an ISP. For this they got free a free dialup account each.

    Thankfully the ISP never put a session limit on the login details, so as soon as they gave them to one friend, we had 50 or more people using the same logins for free internet (usually costing a few dollars an hour).

    • djones145 on 12/02/2022 - 20:48
      +14

      reporting to AFP

    • Heaps for Cheaps on 12/02/2022 - 20:48
      +2

      This would have been a great OzBargain Deal.

  • nfr on 12/02/2022 - 20:22
    +5

    In 2016 I submitted a statuary declaration to the AFP giving them full details including the naming of names.

    Ozemail was long gone. What was the point of doing this?

    • BoredGhost on 13/02/2022 - 15:53

      Probably something to do with the statute of limitations.

      The OP's post has most likely been planned, but I see a lot of idiots still thinking it is a copy and paste without providing evidence of such.

  • Heaps for Cheaps on 12/02/2022 - 20:24
    +11

    I feel I need to admit to crimes of my school friends in the late 90's.

    They would buy games and then copy the 1.44mb discs and then share them with the rest of the school.

    • SBOB on 12/02/2022 - 20:30
      +6

      1.44mb discs

      You had it easy…
      Didn't have to cut a notch in the side of your floppies, or turn them over half way ;)

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 12/02/2022 - 20:31
    +3

    While most of the people here are dismissing you, I want to believe.

    • djones145 on 12/02/2022 - 20:58
      +2

      where is slavoz, I'm sure he would support you, always loves a conspiracy

      • SBOB on 12/02/2022 - 21:10
        +2

        Penalty box

        • djones145 on 12/02/2022 - 21:23

          aahh figures, we had that covid post and I guess he's itching to post

  • Heaps for Cheaps on 12/02/2022 - 20:41
    +3

    The main point however, that people of Ozb' want to know is; Why are you coming clean now with a vague story that white-washes your involvement in this conspiracy. But also, with all the current crimes going on, why would AFP dedicate any time at all to a 25+ year old alleged crime when the internet was the wild west and everybody was a hacker because they used Back Orifice from Cult of the Dead Cow.

    • AndyC1 on 12/02/2022 - 20:46
      +2

      trolling?

    • Offgrid on 12/02/2022 - 20:51
      -4

      Why did the AFP allow the sale of a company full of credid card fraud is the question I would be asking.

      Whistle blowers always cop the flack though….. I get this.

      • djones145 on 12/02/2022 - 20:57
        +4

        are u sure u reported it to the right AFP and not the Association of Fundraising Professionals ?

        I reported CBA to APRA and they responded and said the American professional reodo Association can't help

      • bmerigan on 12/02/2022 - 23:02
        +3

        "full"? More like 0.5% isn't it?
        Is it any different to the sale of a shop where theft occurs?

      • hayne on 13/02/2022 - 12:14
        +2

        Because why would they stop the sale of a company that is the victim of credit card fraud? It's not their jurisdiction.

        What happens when a company is bought and sold is that the buyer has to do their own due diligence. It's not incumbent on the seller to disclose. It's a basic tenet of our society - buyer beware. It's like you can sell your car and it could have a transmission that is starting to go faulty but if the buyer doesn't pick it up, the AFP can't reverse the sale. You can sell your property which might be suffering from termites or concrete cancer and again, if the buyer doesn't pick it up or get a building inspector to look at it beforehand, the AFP doesn't stop the sale. Why would the AFP get involved here when it sounds like one of many diligence issues that the buyer would have reviewed (and likely paid experts to check for them)?

      • terrys on 13/02/2022 - 13:37

        It depends what you're trying to blow it with….

      • serpserpserp on 13/02/2022 - 15:07

        Did you know that retailers were affected by supply chain and shop theft? AFP should have stopped every takeover of the last 50 years because of it.

  • elgrande on 12/02/2022 - 20:45
    +7

    WINAMP WINAMP WINAMP

    • Bonsaichop on 12/02/2022 - 20:50
      +9

      It really whips the llama's ass!

    • mding on 13/02/2022 - 11:05
      +1

      just googled it, wow, they're still around… I remember you can get all those cool skins for them.

    • BartholemewH on 13/02/2022 - 12:56
      +1

      I have some sweet custom visualisations. What's your ICQ?

      • 2025 on 13/02/2022 - 14:58
        +1

        Oh oh

        Clack clack clack Ching

  • djones145 on 12/02/2022 - 20:46
    +8

    fake news
    if you were really from the 90s u would use words like rad and awesome

    • Offgrid on 12/02/2022 - 20:57

      Was born in 1971..…. Sorry.

      • djones145 on 12/02/2022 - 20:57
        +3

        rad

        • terrys on 13/02/2022 - 13:36

          313373!

    • BreezyPalms on 13/02/2022 - 09:59

      @djones145 This is the best commmet!

      • hayne on 13/02/2022 - 12:16
        +1

        Actually I liked (literally) djones145's earlier comment on the American Professional Rodeo Association but I feel like that one probably went over most people's heads…

        • djones145 on 13/02/2022 - 14:12
          +1

          i actually use to work at APRA and that was the joke we would run we lol

    • DARK KHAOS on 13/02/2022 - 13:09
      +1

      That's gammon

  • Godric on 12/02/2022 - 20:56

    I WANT KFC

    • djones145 on 12/02/2022 - 20:57
      +2

      I don't care…. I love it

    • Offgrid on 12/02/2022 - 20:58
      -2

      Full of MSG…, makes e sick.

      • Godric on 12/02/2022 - 21:08
        +6

        Banned

      • djones145 on 12/02/2022 - 21:25
        +3

        in was starting to like you, after this KFC post, I will hunt you I will find u I will shove some KFC gravy down your thoat

        • Godric on 12/02/2022 - 21:35

          Yes please

        • terrys on 13/02/2022 - 13:53
          +1

          I remember being told by a catering student helping out at a Fred's van kitchen not to order the gravy, as it was made with the oozy stuff that dripped into the trays under the chickens.

          It went a long way to explaining the sympathetic smiles on the other erstwhile chefs whenever he spoke. He didn't get around to telling us of his hacking exploits though…

  • djones145 on 12/02/2022 - 21:01
    +10

    I had a chat with the lawyers fighting to deport Julian. they were wondering if you could help.
    to continue to call I need some credits, can you fund me a few million so I can set yoy up so you can be a witness in the case against him. internet ain't cheap and phone calls.

    • Offgrid on 12/02/2022 - 21:15
      -1

      Lol that's funny.

      • djones145 on 12/02/2022 - 21:24
        +4

        I blame Turnbull, he created the internet. so expensive

        • Offgrid on 12/02/2022 - 21:58
          -1

          My family and Turnbull's family built the first church in Aust. I believe its called the Ebinizer. His great unkle was pallbearer at my great great uncles funeral.

          • Grunntt on 13/02/2022 - 08:44
            +2

            @Offgrid: Totally off topic - but I think you will find that the Union Church at Ebenzer is the oldest church still existing ie. not the first church built, just the oldest still standing.

            • Offgrid on 13/02/2022 - 08:51

              @Grunntt: You could be right. It may bethe oldest existing church somewhere near Wilberforce from memory. My great great grandfather is Paul Bushell. There is a lagoon just near it named aft him…. Bushels lagoon I believe.

              • Grunntt on 13/02/2022 - 09:13
                +1

                @Offgrid: Yep - Ebenezer is near Wilberforce.

                BTW seeing as you have been around the internet and apparently hacking I would have thought you would be a lot more careful with disclosing personal information online. A great-great-grandfather's full name is not that far away that you are impossible to identify.

                • Offgrid on 13/02/2022 - 09:36
                  +2

                  @Grunntt: Oops I missed a great in there. Great great great grandfather.

                  This world is built on fear and control. I'm way too far down the rabbit hole to ever be controlled anymore. I now live my life by trying my best not to commit the seven deadly sins.

                  I have nothing to hide and if people want to try to find out who I am that is their choice. A lot of people have asked why I contacted the AFP. I want to be clean of everything I feel I've done wrong in life and that was apart of that. I knew knew the AFP had their hands dirty too.

                  I personally feel coming clean has released me. I have no more secrets and no more guilt. I started doing this around 2010. I feel my soul has healed a lot. I now work on being the best person I can be and advocate as much as I can for people whom have been wronged. Especially the nation as a whole. If you think this is the worst I have on Mr Turnbull, you would be wrong.

                  • mding on 13/02/2022 - 11:09
                    +5

                    @Offgrid: omg…. no wonder you're banned from WP

                  • Grunntt on 13/02/2022 - 11:41
                    +5

                    @Offgrid:

                    I have nothing to hide and if people want to try to find out who I am that is their choice

                    Just because you 'have nothing to hide' still does not make it a wise move to put identifiable information online. If you have been so intimately involved with real hackers, as you claim, then you would be very aware of what can be done.
                    This is why I beleive your exposure to real hackers has been a lot more limited than you think.
                    For some reason you are looking for your 15 minutes of fame by getting something off your chest which in reality is really, really unimportant to anyone else.

                    • Offgrid on 13/02/2022 - 12:21

                      @Grunntt: Wow I don't think I'm looking for 15mins of fame on ozbargins.

                      It continues es to surprise me how humans treat other humans. I have no one interest in this existence and this is s one the reasons why. My next existence is what maters to me. I'm not religious BTW.

                  • serpserpserp on 13/02/2022 - 15:11
                    +2

                    @Offgrid: I'm sure Malcolm is shaking in his boots mate.

                • djones145 on 13/02/2022 - 14:59
                  +1

                  @Grunntt: he's already some clean to the AFP
                  hes prolly working as a spy, looking for hackers on ozbargain

                  watch your back boys!

            • terrys on 13/02/2022 - 13:56

              @Grunntt: The O.P. probably didn't hack the Wikipedia page for long enough to read that far - they are a haunted fugitive wondering when the knock will come.

  • Look Up on 12/02/2022 - 23:21
    +3

    Offgrid, you have just broken the first rule of Fight Club

    The local SysOp is awaiting your apology and expects you to hand over your USR Courier V.Everything first thing Monday morning

    • BreezyPalms on 13/02/2022 - 14:16
      +1

      Lol at the Fight Club reference, you lost me with the rest

  • pegaxs on 12/02/2022 - 23:42
    +11

    What a load of bullshit.

    Thanks for the story, OP. You get a D for punctuation, spelling and grammar though.

    LARP harder next time.

  • mousie on 12/02/2022 - 23:45
    +9

    Using ccmaster.exe to generate a bunch of check digit ready card numbers which would pass the entry screens but fall over on the debit charge isn't exactly hacking.

    Alt.2600

    Its a long time ago. Some of the culprits may have been kids

  • Talonparty on 13/02/2022 - 00:45
    +2

    Why did you decide to submit this information to the AFP? Just wake up one day and start making calls?

    How did you know Julian Assange was in your group? Handles have been a thing for a long time, your hacking group used your real names?

    I don't doubt that old Malcolm would have sold it whether he knew the value was massively overinflated due to carders or not. The whole system is corrupt, next to no-one as wealthy as him has clean hands. Only a few of them are occasionally made examples of as a sacrifice to keep us from realising how entrenched it is. None of this would be surprising.

    What would be surprising would be waking up one day and just surrendering all your past crimes to the AFP with no prompting and for all of you sharing counterfeit or stolen credit cards to share your real names too. It's just a bit much to take without elaboration.

    • serpserpserp on 13/02/2022 - 15:13
      +2

      His handle was J_Dog . Had to be him!

  • noz on 13/02/2022 - 00:53

    Reading this brings back memories of the days of dialling up to my uni for free Internet. Connect to a console session, run SLiRP (a PPP emulator which was buggy as heck), and then browse the web with Netscape Navigator. It was against uni rules, but no one ever told me off, and it continued to work for a year or so after I finished uni.

  • jimbobaus on 13/02/2022 - 02:02
    +1

    What even is this?
    Lol.

  • centrelink on 13/02/2022 - 03:48

    Ahh back in the 90’s where the internet was the Wild West. Nowadays cryptocurrency is the Wild West but you need much more funding money instead of a dialup plan for a whole day of exploration of unfiltered internet.

    • Grunntt on 13/02/2022 - 08:47
      +2

      The real wild west online was before the 90's. Most people seem to believe that nothing existed before the WWW was created.
      Once the web was created it just let lots of kiddies believe they were hackers.

  • BreezyPalms on 13/02/2022 - 10:06
    +1

    Next crime to confess? …pirated music (copying cassettes & burning cds)

    • LFO on 13/02/2022 - 12:44
      +2

      Next crime to confess?

      Midnight speeding doing 61km/h thru a deserted Newcastle street …

      ;-)

      • BartholemewH on 14/02/2022 - 02:20

        Ah yes, in the gold top secret camry.

      • BewareOfThe Dog on 14/02/2022 - 14:29

        The Newcastle Hunter St Mall?

    • mousie on 13/02/2022 - 14:39
      +1

      Buying fireworks from queenbeyan and blowing up rivalry letterboxes.

  • JimmyF on 13/02/2022 - 10:13
    +2

    I personally was never associated with the credit card fraud. I did however use username and passwords that were created with credit card fraud.

    Using login details knowly gained via credit card fraud does make you associated.

    Its like receiving known stolen goods. Oh buy officer, I didn't steal it personally, but I knew someone else stole it and then gave it to me.

    • Offgrid on 13/02/2022 - 10:22

      Which is exactly what I said.

      • JimmyF on 13/02/2022 - 11:36
        +1

        knowing receiving stolen goods is a crime….., so yeah you had been associated with the credit card fraud by knowing using login details that been be gotten using stolen credit card details.

    • rektrading on 13/02/2022 - 10:44
      +1

      The Cybercrime act didn't exist before 2001.

      • mousie on 13/02/2022 - 14:42

        The maters were refferrd to state based police who often didn't understand the crime but would still investigate. In my experience.

        I don't understand Ops motives, there was anothrr post about whirlpool.

        It's seems like it's kicking an old abandoned termite nest and complaining about the old infestation.

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 13/02/2022 - 10:30
    +1

    Snitches get stiches.

    • Offgrid on 13/02/2022 - 10:38
      -8

      Tell that to Brittany Higgins.

      • terrys on 13/02/2022 - 14:00

        Victim <>[ask your support worker] Informant.

        Language doesn't appear to be your first language.

      • serpserpserp on 13/02/2022 - 15:14
        +1

        Wow and you hate women too. What a good person you are.

  • Gunnar on 13/02/2022 - 11:25
    +2

    OP judging by your posts I'm guessing your unvaccinated?

  • STE on 13/02/2022 - 12:23
    +2

    this use of ozemail in the 90s was widespread, you arent special.. Newcastle lol.

  • ribze1 on 13/02/2022 - 12:33
    +1

    My dad still has an Ozemail email address.

  • LFO on 13/02/2022 - 12:42

    As we are going thru memory lane … anyone used or remember TECHNET2000 ?

    Real entrepreneurial company that offered dial up Internet at $1 per hour No deposits, no quotas, charged monthly to Credit Card.

    Simplicity plus. A gift from the techs

    • BartholemewH on 13/02/2022 - 13:04

      I think most would remember them. Never used them though.

  • YeemaiI on 13/02/2022 - 12:56
    +6

    Did you say "I'm in" when you hacked into the Ozemail mainframe after breaching the firewall?

    • terrys on 13/02/2022 - 13:33

      They were too busy looking after the Keats cybrid and Brawne Lamia…

    • serpserpserp on 13/02/2022 - 14:41
      +1

      slides sunglasses over eyes at same time

  • BartholemewH on 13/02/2022 - 12:59
    +4

    I dub thee He-Pam!

  • Wasabi Ninja on 13/02/2022 - 13:12
    +4

    Thanks for the pointless heads up. Welcome to two thousand and late.

  • terrys on 13/02/2022 - 13:32
    +1

    " I personally knew of including Julian Assange"

    Well done.
    Did you meet him at Oxford?

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