As a blog about “technological misbehaviour” we try to keep up with the cutting edge of technology and the ways it is abused, but now and then somebody proves that old technology is more than enough of a tool to do bad things. Boingboing has a recent blog regarding a case in which a prank caller used a telephone to get managers of fast food stores to subject their workers and sometimes customers to strip searches.
Over a period of several years this caller has racked up more than 60 incidents in which he used a telephone to pose as a police officer or company manager to induce often young and inexperienced store managers to force strip searches on other employees.
The hoaxer’s actions have, in some cases, even led to criminal proceedings against the managers who were duped by him, 7 of whom were actually convicted.
A detailed report from The Courier Journal details the whole story. The episode just goes to show that you don’t really need the latest technology to fool innocent people.
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