--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One of my all-time favorite pranks was…" description: "\"One of my all-time favorite pranks was gaining unauthorized access to the telephone switch and changing the class of service of a fellow phone phreak. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c9/kevin-mitnick-3026_access_one-of-my-all-time-favorite-pranks-was-g_2105825.png" --- # One of my all-time favorite pranks was gaining… ![“One of my all-time favorite pranks was gaining unauthorized access to the telephone switch and changing the class of service of a fellow phone phreak. When he'd attempt to make a call from home, he'd get a message telling him to deposit a dime, because the telephone company switch received input…” quote by Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c9/kevin-mitnick-3026_access_one-of-my-all-time-favorite-pranks-was-g_2105825.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c9/kevin-mitnick-3026_access_one-of-my-all-time-favorite-pranks-was-g_2105825.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c9/kevin-mitnick-3026_access_one-of-my-all-time-favorite-pranks-was-g_2105825.png) > “One of my all-time favorite pranks was gaining unauthorized access to the telephone switch and changing the class of service of a fellow phone phreak. When he'd attempt to make a call from home, he'd get a message telling him to deposit a dime, because the telephone company switch received input that indicated he was calling from a pay phone.” [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A prank exploiting telecom systems to make a friend think he must pay for a call, highlighting social engineering and technical skill. **In simple terms:** A tech prank made a friend think he owed money for a call. Key Takeaway Beware of system vulnerabilities and social tricks. Themes pranks social engineering technology humor Mood playful cautionary Type anecdotal humorous When to use this quote - friendship - phone usage - security testing Key Concepts telecommunications exploitation psychology Questions to Reflect On - How would you feel if your service was altered without consent? - What safeguards can prevent such exploits? A Different Perspective Such tricks can cause real inconvenience or legal issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Access](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Message](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/message/) [Pranks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pranks/) [Service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/service/) ## Related quotes > [Computers shouldn't be unusable. You don't need to know how to work a telephone switch to make a phone call, or how to use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mcnealy/computers-shouldn-t-be-unusable-you-don-t-need-to-know-how-to-work-a/) [Scott McNealy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mcnealy/) > [“Assume time is like a currency and passion is a recurring deposit account. Success is the interest that you reap.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrmn-ca-vikram-verma/assume-time-is-like-a-currency-and-passion-is-a-recurring-deposit/) [Vikrmn: CA Vikram Verma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrmn-ca-vikram-verma/) > [I remember when I was growing up, you would go to a bank to open a deposit, and they'd give you a toaster. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-el-erian/i-remember-when-i-was-growing-up-you-would-go-to-a-bank-to-open-a/) [Mohamed El-Erian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-el-erian/) > [Look at each failure as a deposit made into the account that will help you write the check for your next significant success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-darnell/look-at-each-failure-as-a-deposit-made-into-the-account-that-will/) [Bobby Darnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-darnell/) > [“I’ll need a deposit, of course. I think that’s where your ring comes in handy.” Ira extended his open hand toward Camille. She took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-frazier/i-ll-need-a-deposit-of-course-i-think-that-s-where-your-ring-comes-in/) [Angie Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-frazier/) > [I hesitate to deposit money in a bank. I am afraid I shall never dare to take it out again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baudrillard/i-hesitate-to-deposit-money-in-a-bank-i-am-afraid-i-shall-never-dare/) [Jean Baudrillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baudrillard/) > [Life is a bank where everybody has deposited time but will never know the balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/life-is-a-bank-where-everybody-has-deposited-time-but-will-never-know/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [“I'm banking on my ERA (Eternal retirement account) more than my IRA! Do you have an ERA?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evinda-lepins/i-m-banking-on-my-era-eternal-retirement-account-more-than-my-ira-do/) [Evinda Lepins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evinda-lepins/) > [When you grow up by the sea, you spend a good deal of time looking at the horizon. You wonder what on Earth the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-o-hagan/when-you-grow-up-by-the-sea-you-spend-a-good-deal-of-time-looking-at/) [Andrew O'Hagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-o-hagan/) > [Hell, even my garage a menage, Like my hoes exotic, same as my cars. Million-dollar deposit, you suffer from withdrawals, I got in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malice-clipse/hell-even-my-garage-a-menage-like-my-hoes-exotic-same-as-my-cars/) [Malice (Clipse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malice-clipse/) > [“Great. There goes our security deposit." ~ Sean”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianne-duvall/great-there-goes-our-security-deposit-sean/) [Dianne Duvall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dianne-duvall/) > [I call on the Australian Government to set out the conditions upon which they will provide a taxpayer funded backing for wholesale term funding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-bishop/i-call-on-the-australian-government-to-set-out-the-conditions-upon/) [Julie Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-bishop/) > [This is a unique deposit not just in terms of reserves, but also in terms of extraction techniques. Therefore there're grounds to talk about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-khristenko/this-is-a-unique-deposit-not-just-in-terms-of-reserves-but-also-in/) Viktor Khristenko > [It's rewarding to know that a song is doing more than just helping someone to have a nice day: it's actually leaving a deposit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-grant/it-s-rewarding-to-know-that-a-song-is-doing-more-than-just-helping/) [Natalie Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-grant/) > [If there is a risk in a bank, our first question should be 'Okay, what are you in the bank going to do about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeroen-dijsselbloem/if-there-is-a-risk-in-a-bank-our-first-question-should-be-okay-what/) [Jeroen Dijsselbloem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeroen-dijsselbloem/) ## More by Kevin Mitnick > [The human. Now you know all about your target](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/the-human-now-you-know-all-about-your-target/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [I was fascinated with the phone system and how it worked; I became a hacker to get better control over the phone company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-was-fascinated-with-the-phone-system-and-how-it-worked-i-became-a/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [Nine out of every 10 large corporations and government agencies have been attacked by computer intruders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/nine-out-of-every-10-large-corporations-and-government-agencies-have/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [Back up everything! You are not invulnerable. Catastrophic data loss can happen to you - one worm or Trojan is all it takes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/back-up-everything-you-are-not-invulnerable-catastrophic-data-loss/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [It's true, I had hacked into a lot of companies, and took copies of the source code to analyze it for security bugs. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/it-s-true-i-had-hacked-into-a-lot-of-companies-and-took-copies-of-the/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [When an attacker fails with one person, they often go to another person. The key is to report the attack to other departments. Workers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/when-an-attacker-fails-with-one-person-they-often-go-to-another/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [I think malware is a significant threat because the mitigation, like antivirus software, hasn't evolved to a point to really mitigate the risk to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-think-malware-is-a-significant-threat-because-the-mitigation-like/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [Usually companies hire me, and they know full well who I am, and that's one of the reasons they want to hire me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/usually-companies-hire-me-and-they-know-full-well-who-i-am-and-that-s/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [A lot of companies are clueless, because they spend most or all of their security budget on high-tech security like fire walls and biometric…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/a-lot-of-companies-are-clueless-because-they-spend-most-or-all-of/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [I characterize myself as a retired hacker. I'm applying what I know to improve security at companies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-characterize-myself-as-a-retired-hacker-i-m-applying-what-i-know-to/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [No company that I ever hacked into reported any damages, which they were required to do for significant losses. Sun didn't stop using Solaris…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/no-company-that-i-ever-hacked-into-reported-any-damages-which-they/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [New security loopholes are constantly popping up because of wireless networking. The cat-and-mouse game between hackers and system administrators is still in full swing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/new-security-loopholes-are-constantly-popping-up-because-of-wireless/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [The explosion of companies deploying wireless networks insecurely is creating vulnerabilities, as they think it's limited to the office - then they have Johnny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/the-explosion-of-companies-deploying-wireless-networks-insecurely-is/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [The government does things like insisting that all encryption programs should have a back door. But surely no one is stupid enough to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/the-government-does-things-like-insisting-that-all-encryption/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [I get hired to hack into computers now and sometimes it's actually easier than it was years ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-get-hired-to-hack-into-computers-now-and-sometimes-it-s-actually/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) [Explore all 142 Kevin Mitnick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) ## More Access quotes > [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. 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