EXPLOITATION OF THE IP RELAY PHONE SYSTEM FOR THE DEAF

with a specific focus on small businesses

CREATED BY – JENN WILKEN ° INSTRUCTOR – SHARON WHITE

BUSINESS ETHICS – BUS 2973-01 ° WINTER TERM

HISTORY OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

1588 ADSmoke Signals

1837Morse Code

2020200019801960194018801860184018201600

1876Telephone Invented

1964TTY Born

1990ADA is law

1970’sAffordable TTY

(20,000 in homes)

1980AT&T = toll free operator service

1987First 24 hourrelay service(80,000 calls = 1st month)

2001IP Relay tests begin

2003Video relay use begins

1962-1974ASCII developed

FUNDING/REGULATION

• Federal Communication Commission (FCC), established in 1934, regulates all interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable.

• Interstate Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) Fund is overseen by the FCC which recovers costs for services such as Internet-Protocol (IP) Relay and Video Relay Services (VRS)o Costs are recovered by each state based on TRS minute-of-use basiso Rate adjustments/surcharges in local phone bills fund the TRS

• EVERYONE with a phone line contributes towards this fund!

A TYPICAL IP-RELAY CALL

• Go to providers website (i.e. www.IP-Relay.com)• Enter 10 digit phone number and hit ‘Call Now!’• Operator will connect you to other party

o Briefly explain to other party how to use system• Operator reads what the called types

o Often use American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII)

• Other party speaks reply to operator, who types response to caller

• Either party says “Go Ahead” when they are finished replying• Operator is not to intervene at ANY time, no matter what the

content or message – they are only the means of exchange!

THE “GOLDEN RULE” EXPERIENCE

• POSITION: Office Manager/Sales Representative• FIRST CALL: January 2009• REQUESTS: 300 Chicken Salad Sandwiches ($500)

Needed for ‘Father’s Birthday Party’Ordered three (3) days prior to eventPicked up by third party at 10:00 am, SaturdayPay with credit cardAdd $800 to credit card for driverPay driver upon arrive with Western Union

• CONCLUSION: Caller needed to handle driver on ownAsked to speak to ownerNever called back

• TIME OF CALL: 25 minutes (over the course of two days/calls)

TERMS/CONDITIONS OF IP RELAY

• “Users have the ability to request male/female operator.”• “Users are not required to register or provide proof of

disability.”• “Interpreters are required to meet strict codes of ethics so

you can be assured of confidentiality.”The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page states…• “In the past individuals have connected to our services to

attempt fraud. Under Federal regulations, we cannot censor the contents of a relay call. FCC Rule Sec. 64.604(a)(2)(ii). The type of fraud committed usually involves fake payments for over the amount of an item you are selling and the fraudulent user will request you send the extra money to a shipper or carrier.”

CHALLENGES

• FOR USERS…o Legitimate users find the system “busy” because of bogus traffico

OR they are often hung up on by businesses that have been burned

• FOR OPERATORS…o Former operators estimate 25-80% of calls in a day are scamso Operators feel as if they are contributing to the exploitation of

unsuspecting US businesses that think they are helping a deaf person

o “I felt like a criminal every day I left work”• FOR THE PUBLIC…

o It is illegal for a business to refuse to serve a deaf caller – ADAo Different avenues to report corruption

REPORTING RELAY FRAUD

• PROVIDER (i.e. IP-Relay.com)o Contact Customer Care Department to report

• FCCo On-line or written form must include your name and contact

information, preferred method of response, that it involves TRS, information of individuals/company involved in complaint and full description of fraud

• FBIo Contact the Internet Crime website (www.ic3.gov)

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC)o Contact by phone (1-888-FTC-HELP) or web (www.ftc.gov)

• POLITICAL LEADERSo Letters to Congressperson/Senator