Paknet, which is the mobile-data Vodaphone subsidiary, uses the
vodafax service to broadcast engineering messages to its thousands of
subscribers. They have a dedicated 0374 number which will
automatically re-distribute an incoming message to everyone on the
distribution list. It is supposed to be password-protected, but
evidently isn't.
This morning the someone accidentally dialled in to the Paknet number
with a fax of a Gerry Malone press release about dentists. We suspect
they meant to dial an 01374 number but left out the 1. The 3-page
text carried no header, only the 0374 number, so we and loads of other
Paknet subscribers received the fax and helpfully sent it back to the
0374 number, which promptly re-distributed it! Devon Fire Service
claims to have received the same fax 170 times! Vodafax have now
turned off the number.
You may be seeing some depressed Vodaphone execs in evening surgery
tonight. :-)
Lynn Woods Adastra
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