The Holy Grail

The information was taken from a computer bulletin board system known as Pacific Island and used actively by the Australian connection.

The message read: ‘OK on the 5353 series which we are closing today - Mastercard $109 400.50. On the 4564 series - Visa which I'll leave open for a week

$209 417.90. And on good old don't leave home without someone else's: $43 200.

‘Making a grand total of $362 018.40!

‘Let's hear it for our Aussie friends!

‘I hear they are doing just as well!

‘They are sending more numbers on the 23rd! Great!

‘They will be getting 10% as usual . . . a nice bonus of $36 200.00!’

The bulletin board also contained advice for phreakers on using telephones in Telecom's 199 William Street headquarters and the green phones at Spencer Street Station in Melbourne - to make free international calls . . .

Phoenix, another local bulletin board user, listed prices for ‘EXTC’- tablets . . .

Late Friday, *The Australian* received evidence sug- gesting a break-in of the US Citibank network by Australian hackers known as The Realm . . .

The gang's US connection is believed to be based in Milwaukee and Houston. US Federal authorities have already raided US hackers involved in Citibank break-ins in the US.

A covert operation of the Bureau of Criminal Intelligence has had the Australian connection under surveillance and last week took delivery of six months' of evidence from the Pacific Island board and associated boards going by the name of Zen and Megaworks . . .