Tim Jones

Hackers Drive Up Phone Bill of Small Vermont Town

A Vermont town board is dealing with an administrative headache from phone hackers overcharging their bill with long-distance international calls. The Brattleboro Reformer reports that Newfane is stuck with a bill of over $3,000 despite not making the calls. 

Shannon Meckle, a town official, says that the calls are virtually untraceable, and Vermont State Police told her that it was unlikely they would find the perpetrators. The town board is trying to negotiate with the local phone company, Fairpoint, to defer payment of their bill. 

Resident Ken Estey says that the phone company should shoulder the bill. 

A Fairpoint employee says that they cannot lower the bill any further, because it's the lowest international rate they offer. 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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