Getting money from payphones - Archive File

[megalomania]

SofaKing
Frequent Poster
Posts: 399
From: YEAH RIGHT !!
Registered: SEP 2000
posted 04-18-2001 07:31 PM
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I've been trying to figure out how to open the coin box on payphones with destroying them. It seems to me that is you can reliably get the money out then, you could get lots of money (200-500$)by going to a few phones. One thing that I already know is that a t-key is required, but I think that another is also needed and I don't know if it's universal. Could the locks be picked ? I'm thinking that between 20-50$ based on the size of the box, is that acurate ? Any info would be great ?

The reason I like this Idea so much is the ease, low risk and void of voilence. Are there any other ways similar to getting money.

I only want to know for the theorectical aspect of it.

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With Knowledge we find Truth - With Truth we find Freedom



Pyro
Frequent Poster
Posts: 104
From: Danbury,CT,U.S.A
Registered: MAR 2001
posted 04-18-2001 08:46 PM
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Well, I have heard of a thing called a "red box" and the way it {theoretically} works is by unscrewing the speaker that you speak into and playing a recording of the internet(preferably an older computer).I know this is from the A-crapbook and the only reason I post this is because I have heard accounts from phreakers of this working.I'm am not sure though, I guess it's worth a try,eh?-Pyro


PYRO500
Moderator
Posts: 1465
From: somewhere in florida
Registered: SEP 2000
posted 04-18-2001 09:47 PM
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the boxes are incredibly old and absolutely positivley not work in the us, I have herd rumors about them working in mexico in some desolate towns but I doubt it, anything regarding a green box is shit too as by the time anyone figured out how to use one they didnt work anymore. now about the only way to phreak the phone lines in to go to a central office (a metal box that controls phones ther's one about every 5 miles or 300 people(sometimes more or less) I think after you get a "T" key there may be a drawer box or another simpler box and a weaker non armored shell


Anthony
Moderator
Posts: 2306
From: England
Registered: SEP 2000
posted 04-18-2001 10:12 PM
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There was a TV program here in the UK about stealing from pay phones.
It had people on camera breaking into the phones, I think you have to get the door open and then there's a removable (probably locked)cash box inside. So guy used a "modified car jack" (scissor type) to pry the door open, it took a long time and he ended up jumping on the jack to finally get the phone open. It was late at night and the guy pretended to be making a call whenever a car came past. Shame the twat didn't realise he was on camera (face not covered and illuminated perfectly by the light in the phone box).

A better organsied guy drove upto and parked next to a phone box at the edge of a road, got out, opened the rear car door opposite the phone walked in the phone box and then there was a massive blinding light from inside the phone box - yup, oxy-acetylene he was gone in under 2 minutes (from originally getting out of the car). He had the tanks in the back of the car and just took the torch into the phone box. CCTV camera didn't get his face since it was too dark outside the phone box and the oxy-acetylene torch blinded it. I think he also had his face covered.

The phone company seems pretty wise to how vulnerable phone boxes are they have their own police force that checks up on them. If you keep hitting a phone box they will stake it out and catch you.

Something popular with kids was "blocking". They jammed the coin return flap up so that any change given collected on top of the flap so people couldn't get it. They then just unjammed the flap and all the money fell out. They wouldn't say exactly how they did it but it's hardly rocket science. You don't get so much money but it's quick, easy and doesn't look suspicious. The kids got caught though because they did it around london, everyday they'd ride the tube around the city collecting the money from all the phones at every station and then reblocking them. Far too predictable for the group of wannabe-cops running around in plain cloth "disguises" co-ordinating with mobile phones. I think it's less of a crime though as you're not actually stealing from the phone company (the money isn't theirs) and you're also not physically damaging the phone, although you are interupting its intended function.

With the amount if CCTV cameras in urban areas nowadays, phone boxes are pretty well covered. So you'd want to find one out in the middle of nowhere, but then you haven't got much of a resource to loot.

Quickest (and most original) method would probably to blast the door off. Go into the box, place the charge, light the fuse, duck out side, bang, run in, grab the cash box and leg it. First suspicious sign would be the bang and the time after that till when you're gone is only a few seconds.



BoB-
Frequent Poster
Posts: 679
From:
Registered: SEP 2000
posted 04-18-2001 11:51 PM
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We used to jam a rag up coin return slots, then, at the end of the day just take it out and you've got enough for some food. Nice, illegal way to treat yourself to some burritos when your broke.
I miss the good old days, when a quarter with wire attached to it could get you all the free drinks you wanted, ....good times.





Crux
Frequent Poster
Posts: 71
From: australia
Registered: SEP 2000
posted 04-19-2001 03:09 AM
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when i 1st leard of the jaming the coin slot up and did it, when i injamed the phonne the was so much $$ inside that the slot i lifted up and jambed got stuck, so the next time i was more carefull and got over $30, this when on for a few weeks untill people started to figure is out then evey one was doing it and you were lucky to get $2 from the phone


Bandit
Frequent Poster
Posts: 82
From: U.K.
Registered: SEP 2000
posted 04-19-2001 08:37 AM
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Boxing still works in the uk, but if you are going to unlock them some of the new ones ring up the operator and tells them its unlockes.

Bandit



J
Moderator
Posts: 602
From: United Kingdom
Registered: SEP 2000
posted 04-19-2001 01:40 PM
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I also saw the program with the Oxy-Acetalene torch, I think it was a gang of 3 people and they hit quite a few boxes.
Some boxing does still work in the UK apparently. You have to use a little social engineering as well as some recorded tones. This site has all the details: http://www.p0wm.cjb.net/

J

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"If the aquarium water has to be drunk don't waste the fish. In fact they'll probably be the easiest to eat even if you don't need the water. The cat is next in the pot." - John 'Lofty' Wiseman



Donutty
Frequent Poster
Posts: 228
From: UK
Registered: SEP 2000
posted 04-19-2001 04:10 PM
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The closest I've got was making a few free calls with a special technique...worked for the first few times but when I went back to the box later, the engineers had obviously disabled it.


SofaKing
Frequent Poster
Posts: 399
From: YEAH RIGHT !!
Registered: SEP 2000
posted 04-19-2001 06:02 PM
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I heard that red boxing (generating the tones for coins) still works in the uS. I hate to be an ass but I did say without destroying the phone, I don't care too much just keep it in mind. As far as the jaming method goes I not to keen on screwing real people, but it still won't get the whole amount out of the phone. If you can do it with out damage there would be the possibllity of doing it again, by rotating the phone you do it to this could go on for a bit. Ohh and thanks !
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With Knowledge we find Truth - With Truth we find Freedom



JB
New Member
Posts: 27
From: UK
Registered: MAR 2001
posted 04-28-2001 07:53 AM
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I had a dream that a few months back my friend wanted to try one of my pure sodium chlorate explosives on a phone box just to grab a bit of money. I dont know why but I let him, and using a 6" scafold pipe explosive, it was placed on the phone book rest, net to the phone, the fuse lit, and we drove off down the road. The area was checked for people first, but nobody was to be seen. Very soon after came an almighty bang. We came back in the car to find the whole phone booth had been blown to pieces - it looked like a car had been dropped from a great height onto it!! It was removed the next day, and not replaced since. I do not approve of this at all, but we did find that the cash is actually stored inside a box within the phone, and doesnt drop down to a container lower down in the phone booth, as to popular belief. After all this, no money was retrieved.


Mick
Frequent Poster
Posts: 232
From:
Registered: OCT 2000
posted 04-28-2001 10:35 AM
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the new phone boxxes in OZ are fucked, because there so small, they don't hold very much money
i found one once(as the saying goes "it fell of the back of a truck" ) and the most i most money i could get it to hold was $20.
which, if you ask me, isn't enough money to justify the time and effort that goes into getting the fuckers open

the orginal phone in OZ held around $50 in coins - and the cash draws were made from cast iron,
so to get into the case draw all you needed was a hard blow with a sharp object to front of them and you were in


on the topic of taking money from public machines,
does anyone know how the ticket machines on train stations(in australia) varify the note money? (like $5 notes etc...)

like how does the machine know that you inserted a $5 note?



c0deblue
Frequent Poster
Posts: 229
From:
Registered: JAN 2001
posted 04-28-2001 01:09 PM
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An article in the local paper a few months ago reported the conviction of two women who had been getting free money from the change-making machine at a do-it-yourself car wash. The machine happily accepted photocopies of $1 bills and dished out four quarters in return.
Really small time scam to be sure, and the women got caught because they kept doing it day after day when they should have known the car-wash owner had staked the place out after discovering all the photocopies.

The hundred or so bucks this intellectually challenged duo made during their week-long "crime spree" wasn't even enough to keep them in cigarettes during the one-year jail sentences they received. All is not lost though - maybe they'll write a "how to" manual and really clean up marketing it on the internet.






mark
Frequent Poster
Posts: 195
From:
Registered: OCT 2000
posted 05-03-2001 03:27 PM
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Does that trick work?
I also once read that if you bent a dollar a certain way, it would convince the change machine that a dollar had entered, but it would give the dollar back. Anyone done that?



BoB-
Frequent Poster
Posts: 679
From:
Registered: SEP 2000
posted 05-03-2001 10:50 PM
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The newest designs of Coke machines are fucking armor plated computers, they do have alarms, they are sounded when a dollar bill is forcefully removed, or there is tampering with the money box.




ssblood
New Member
Posts: 16
From:
Registered: MAY 2001
posted 05-04-2001 04:01 AM
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Redboxes do work. I have done it on Verizon payphones and have still not had a problem. They are very cheap to make, I bought the tone dialer for 4.99 at Radio Shack and got the crystal cod from Mouser Electronics. Takes 15 minutes to solder if you know what you are doing.


SofaKing
Frequent Poster
Posts: 399
From: YEAH RIGHT !!
Registered: SEP 2000
posted 05-06-2001 02:05 AM
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Does the alarm on the coke machine work if it's unplugged . If so that's a lot of technology in a coke machine, must make tons of money.

[macgyver6868]

If you take a piece of copper tubing roughly the size of the hole,pound it in with a hammer,pinch it with pliers and twist,is should open.this was done a my local wal-mart to the "hi-tech" coke machines.the person walked out with $50-$100.

[c.Tech]

Many years ago when I was a child both my sister and I saw a guy walk up to a payphone, flatten what looked like a straw, slid it at the top of the coil return flap where there is a little gap, when he got it high enough money fell through, he grabbed it and left.

But since the 90's the design had probably changed to prevent this.

Since then when I was in my early teens I tried the method with no success.

What I really hate about the payphones in OZ is that when you use a 1 or 2 dollar coin you aren’t likely to get any change from the cheep bastards called Telstra.

[Match]

Free coke from the new coke machines :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZlA2VLxLIk&mode=related&search=

[c.Tech]

I've seen many methods of getting free coke out of coke machines but not the machines they are using, the ones with the cylinder dome at the front that gives out cans.

The first method I saw works only occasionally and is very dangerous. People just run up to the machine jumping into it and bouncing back, this could cause the plastic at the front to snap leaving spikes or in the worse case scenario the whole machine could fall back on you. I don’t think it’s worth a free coke.

The second method is quite simple but rarely works, I’ve pressed the button very quickly and fast or multiple buttons, the machine gives me 2 drinks.

The last method works very well if you have long skinny arms but only works on some machines where the flap at the bottom moves up higher than it should. Simply reach your arm up, feel for a can and yank. It worked for me but took a while it’s first time, half an hour and a scratched arm later I had 2 free drinks :D.

[CosmikDebris]

Macgyver6868;
Where exactly did they put this copper tube?
Was this a DN5000 GFV? (Glass front vendor)

[random136]

Gentlemen, need I remind you that the topic at hand is getting money from a pay phone and not getting free food from a vending machine?

But, since it has been brought up here before, I might as well mention this.

c.Tech there are many, safer, saner ways to get free pop. Here is one method that works on the new machines in North America. I live in Canada and have seen these machines here before.

I never tried this however, but it does seem practical. To be more precise, you get several drinks for the price of one.

May I direct your attention to this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZlA2VLxLIk

Shure it's kewl, but it seems to work.

[macgyver6868]

CosmicDebris,it was on the newest coke machines that i have seen.they were the type with the thick plastic front that displays the coke logo and a bottle.the reason that i posted this was because coke machines are supposed to be more secure than pay phones and they should open with the same method.they did it when alot of people were there talking and they repeted it several times and they still havent been caught.

+++++++++++

Could someone please pay attention in school when they try teaching english to someone? Little things like capitalizing the letter I when referring to oneself.

Thank you.

NBK

[augoldminer]

Many pay phone have 8 screws holding the mounting plate to the Booth.

The repairman use the top 6. Seldom use all 8. The mounting plate may be lifted 3/8 inch and it will come off the wall. This is done so that if some jams the locks the repairman can pull the phone for repair.

This may be done by putting a small screw jack on the shelf under the phone and lifting the phone off the screws.

[Chopper]

Anyone with a keen eye will notice the 'laser radiation' logo and yellow sticker on the back of the newer coke machines. I'm under the understanding that a laser beam is directed at each and every coin entering the machine, scanning each one for the metals present in it, and their approximate concentrations.
I don't know enough about that kinda gear to understand how it works. I guess the spectrum of reflected light is examined, and the presence or absence of 'bands' - similar to those exhibited during a flame test is noted.

Here in Aust at least, the public pay-phones are losing something like $600 a week each. Well the ones they'd (Telstra) like to remove anyway. I'd be very surprised if the phones had anything like this. Although, I will note that the 'new' design of payphones in aust (i.e the ones with a digital display) are

(1) Incapable of recieving incoming calls.

(2) Able to report, in real time, the status of the phone. Right down to whether the coin-flap is open!

Carefull playing around guys.

[c.Tech]

Here in Aust at least, the public pay-phones are losing something like $600 a week each.
Where did you hear that? I alway thought they would make money by ripping people off as they do. When I put a $2 coin in and make a call it takes my change even though I have $1.50 left :mad:. It even did this once when I put in a $1 coin.

I was thinking of melting a zinc/copper alloy (forgot the % of each) into a mould the size of a $2 coin then trying that. As it scans the metal not the details on the coin I see no reason why it shouldn’t work.

[random136]

Although I hold this on hearsay at the moment, as I don’t have any dependable sources to cite for you, I believe payphones stopped giving back change a while back. What with the rise in popularity of phreaking a few decades ago, phone companies were concerned that if user end access to the pay phone’s cash compartment was given, it would wreak havoc for them. Scenes featuring payphones spitting out change, jackpot machine style, complete with the *ding ding ding* sounds, when prompted the right code come to mind.

Basically once your coin gets verified, by whatever means, to see if it is indeed the right coin, it goes into a small holding compartment, where it stays for the duration of the call. You dial your number and one of three things will happen, either it rings and someone picks up, or no one picks up when it rings, or the phone gives off a “busy” tone (if the phone you are trying to call is in use).

If either of the last two cases occurs, the holding compartment opens up into the change tray, and you get the exact same coin back, not another one.

If the call does go through, nothing happens until you hang up, then your coin goes from the holding compartment (the purgatory of spare change, as it were) into the pay phone’s big, strong, armored money compartment.

That is why whenever you hang up after you finish a call you always hear change cling together when you put the receiver down. Or so the story goes at least. I don’t know the specifics of new phones, particularly those found in Australia.

There used to be a little rumor making the rounds online long ago, that there is a way to disable the holding compartment from dropping change into the money compartment. Story goes that you could then subsequently re-enable it at a later date and get all the change that had became trapped in the holding compartment. If that was ever an issue, I’m sure most companies have rectified it by now.

In my humble opinion, the best way to get the change out of a pay phone is the way the phone company does: by opening up the pay phone. I mean you’re not robbing a museum here. How do you think phone company employees open those suckers when they want to get the money out? Retinal scans?

The only notable security features I have seen on most European, Japanese and North American pay pones, has been comprised of two things: hard metal plates, and mechanical locks. The former is used to put wear and tear on your hardware, should you ever try to saw, pry and drill your way through one. The later is used to keep the ignorant out.

It could be one of Medeco’s high security locks, or a leaver lock, or an Ace lock. Although I personally do not have the necessary knowledge to prove my claim at the moment, it stands to reason that pay phones could be picked open, leaving little evidence and practically no damage.

The biggest deterrents to this, I would imagine, are the fact that public phones are usually located in highly populated areas (they’re there to make money after all, and that means clients) and the fact that some locks may be located at odd angles on the phone making it hard to manipulate your tools.

I could be way off on any of this, but that’s just my hypothesis on this matter.

[Chopper]

@ CTech - Ah, 'twas in the news a few weeks ago. The figure per phone wasn't mentioned, but there was mention of the number of phones and the amount of money that stood to be saved by their removal. I worked it out very roughly to about $600 a year. Don't forget, just ONE of the windows on the booth is going to cost over $100..

As for the $2 trick, by all means. I'd be interested to know how it turned out. The unique thing about the $1 and $2 coins is their alloy. It's a copper, ALUMINIUM, and I forget what else, alloy. Without a an inert atmosphere to melt these metals in, you'll be hard pressed to come up with anything that didn't resemble a big black blob of shit. Similarly, you'll be hard pressed to come up with an alloy with a similar density. (part of the reason Al was chosen)

You can try melting the copper first using an oxy-torch, before dropping the Al into the molten metal. But BE CAREFULL. The addition of the cold metal can cause 'explosions' on occasion.
Just check out any basic kids book at the library on metals. Also had the info in the old texts from high-school.

Ever wondered why the $1s and $2s get so badly beaten-up compared to the silver ones? Well, that's why.

If you really want to do a dodgy with Australian currency, you'd duplicate the $200 gold coin. It's 22 karat gold. The gold price is about $185. You could realistically make $10 per coin. Spending $190 to make $10? Well that's another thing. But it's the only coin left whose face value is appreciably higher than it's metal value (as far as I'm aware).

[-=HeX=-]

Sorry for bumping an old thread, but I found it interesting. The modern payphones here in Ireland are like army tanks in a way, armour plated beasts! They are so well protected that even the coin return slot cannot be jammed in any way. However, for some reason the hinges on the coin box are weak as shit, they are inside the coin box (ie. recessed) to stop people snipping them.

However, the recessed hinges are brittle and can be destroyed with a good kick to the door, and viola, it opens. Another technique involves the humble 18mm headed chisel. One meerly prys the box loose, the screws are also very weak and deform fairly easily. Then one jumps on the door. Viola, instant cash.

The Locks also have loose tolerances and are vunerable to raking. Thats all for now.

[Charles Owlen Picket]

On another subject within this topic...
There is a tool that can be used for pulling phones and all sorts of machines: a simple brake seal slam-hammer. This is NOT the slam-hammer of body work fame but one with a 5kg weight on brass bushings and a true drill-chuck screw holder. THESE little shits will pull all sorts of stuff out. I'm not talking about lock-box pulling, but the whole phone! The phone is attached with 4 angle-iron cleats to a wall, etc. If the hammer is attached to the bottom, it will get it started....then the leverage will allow the rest to get pulled off. You end up with the whole phone to open and sell at leisure.

I'm not doing a good job explaining this but screw it - it was fun a long time back.

A Mexican Peso is a bi-metal coin that has a variety of items made for it like phones. Not being a Mexican and having no use for their wonderful currency, I thought little of it. However I did enjoy doing things like getting into public phones when I was a lad.

[Woodey]

For get the Phone and go to a laundry mat. I just bought a Lock Pick for the round 7 pin locks on most machines, including arcade, and soda machines. I tryed this out on 5 locks & was in to all of them in less than 30 seconds, most took 10 to15 seconds so I looked at the keys. Out of the 7 pins 2 or 3 are flush or nearly flush to the face of the key so you only have to pick 3 or 4 of the pins. I am blown away at how easy it is. After the lock is compromized you tighten the ring around the out side of the lock pick & you now have a key to open the rest of the machines!!!!!!!!!!

[-=HeX=-]

Charles: We do the same thing over here with a tool just like the one you have described to phones. It is a common enough occurance in the rural parts. And them Mexican coins were handy back in the day for the vending machines...

Woodey: Where did you obtain suck a lockpick? How much was it?

Also, another note to add, nowadays the 'cram the coin return' method is very effective as it is so old fashioned, so give it a try, I will cover this subject in my future .pdf file...

[Charles Owlen Picket]

I believe Woodey's talking about something called an Ace lock pick. They come in 7 or 8 pin configurations and are pretty damn simple to use. You can buy them where better lock picks are sold near you. Another stylistic joke would be to drill out locks that could not be picked. This is all in good fun, of course. You simply run your drill through the pins or wafer edges of the shear line of the lock in question. What a prank...

There are templets for this or when you are aware of the lock's construction, you can just use a center punch to start the drill. Cobalt bits work very quickly. An average 18v portable drill can get into such a lock in about 30 seconds for real with very little noise if you cover the drill with a towel. Stick with 1/8", etc, etc.

In addition there are now a series of round-hollow Ace-sized drill bits that are designed to drill out the Ace lock for absolute speed. They are either cobalt or carborundum in construction and will allow the defeat of the lock within 10 seconds or less total time. But the Ace key is a superficially undetectable method but it DOES leave tool marks (as does anything; ....forewarned).

[gaussincarnate]

Hex:

http://www.lockpicks.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=220
(rather expensive)

http://www.selfdefenseproducts.com/lockpicks/tubular_picks.htm
(slightly cheaper)

http://www.lockpickshop.com/TPXS-07.html

Expect to pay from around $60 to $160 (US)

How to use them (and if you are so inclined, enough pictures to make one yourself)
http://www.devonlocks.com/LOCK-PICKING/TUBULAR-PICK-GUIDE/TUBULAR-LOCK-PICK.HTM

[Woodey]

Yes thats the pick
http://www.defensedevices.com/tulopi.html
After some more attempts today, I found it can take several attempts to get ti to work. I guess I just got lucky on my first few locks. I read were they will put different tensioned springs to try to defeat this pick, maybe thats my problem. I'm going to try a different method, were you pull all of the fingers out & insert then one at a time while applying a little twisting force. This way I should be able to feel each pin as it meets the shear line.

I bought both the 7 & 8 Pin. Maybe I got lucky on my fisrt few locks because my next few were not as easy. It also could have been different tension springs in the tumbler that are used to try & defeat this pick. I'm going to try a different method were you bring the fingers back to start off with then while rotating the pick push each finger in until you feel it at the shear line.:rolleyes:

[gaussincarnate]

It seems to me that picking tubular locks is far more work than it's worth. You would probably be better off just breaking the lock. Most of the components of tubular locks are hidden from cursory glances, so destroying one does not mean that anyone will notice, at least not until the next person goes to open it.

I am working off of only a mental picture of tubular locks, but if I am not mistaken, there is a substantially larger gap between the cylinder and the body of the lock than any other kind of lock. Maybe it would be possible to insert a shim and press each pin up, one at a time, and lock them upright with the shim. It is much cheaper than using a tubular pick, and just might work. Then again, my mental picture of tubular locks may be distorted, or I might be hallucinating. Always a possibility.

[fiknet]

I am not very knowledgeable on locks but the idea of a lonely payphone sitting there filled with 'goodies' has interested me :P. The ones here in Australia I believe have a box at the bottom with a square steel door on the face and a small lock on the side. I had an idea that if one were to fire a small shaped charge down the center of the lock hopefully it would destroy the locking components and allow something like a screwdriver to be jammed in there and turn the barrel freely, hopefully unlocking the door giving access to the coinbox. However I think there is also the possibility of the shaped charge doing the opposite and twisting and distorting the components so badly that it will remain permanently locked.

[Woodey]

It seems to me that picking tubular locks is far more work than it's worth. You would probably be better off just breaking the lock. Most of the components of tubular locks are hidden from cursory glances, so destroying one does not mean that anyone will notice, at least not until the next person goes to open it..

The best part of the pick, is once you have the locked picked you have a key! How you can relock the money box. A service like a washer or dryer Unlike a product like a news paper stand is hard to tell how much was used, so the owner may never really know anyone has been there.:D Plus if there are more than one machine you can open them all with the same picked key with out having to repick each machine. Also once you leave you can decode the pick & note the settings for reuse at a latter time or make a real key. Now you can go by any time and be in and out in seconds with beer & pizza money.:D

[shadowfax31]

One of the best forums for lock picking is http://www.lockpicking101.com. From that site, someone posted that tubular locks can be "picked" by pressing a block of modeling clay into the lock and firing the clay to make it hard.

You then have a key of sorts. Just don't break the clay off into the lock. Also, make sure that the clay is dry enough so that no clay is left in the lock and so that an accurate impression can be made.

[-=HeX=-]

Shadowfax: I dont think that method works, as how does it set the pins to the shear line? Forgive me if I am wrong though.

The payphones lock could be defeated by use of a Liquid Explosive Lockpick maybe,I an sorry for the short post but I am under a time constraint.

Red boxing STILL works in Ireland, and as 'fortress phones' are still common, a clear box is good as well to obtain free calls.

[shadowfax31]

I haven't actually tried the clay method myself. What I have had success with was a bic pen. The regular white medium pen. You cut off the end and just shove the pen into the tubular lock and turn.

Now the lock I used it on was a bike lock and because of being able to pick it with a pen, the manufactures have changed the design. It may not even be of any use on pay phones/ vending machines. If the bic doesn't work on the lock try other brands of the same design because they are not all equal in diameter.

Another method suggested is to get a good tension wrench designed for a tubular lock and then pick the pins one at a time like any other lock.

Also, if you go to www.lockpicking101.com , DO NOT even mention trying to pick the pay phone/vending machine. They are only interested in the sport of lock picking and will not give you any information if you ask about picking those things.

[Nyax]

Many pay phone have 8 screws holding the mounting plate to the Booth.

The repairman use the top 6. Seldom use all 8. The mounting plate may be lifted 3/8 inch and it will come off the wall. This is done so that if some jams the locks the repairman can pull the phone for repair.

This may be done by putting a small screw jack on the shelf under the phone and lifting the phone off the screws.

If taking of the whole phone is an option for someone, I saw someone take off a Bell (Canada) pay phone off a subway station wall just by pulling real hard on the phone's cord. (it was during a riot)

Maybe it came off so easily because the wall was not very resistant, I didn't have the time to check at that moment, but it is possible to take (bell) pay phones off certain surface (subway wall) without any tools.