New York lawmakers have closed ranks behind a "first of its kind measure in the nation" to target the increasingly common practice of 'modem hijacking,' in which Internet criminals steal the dial-up modem connections of Internet users in order to make unauthorized international phone calls. In one variant of the hijacking scheme, computer users are tricked into checking a box in a pop-up window on the PC screen, inadvertently authorizing the downloading of modem software that then is remotely accessed to make international calls that are charged back to the computer user.

Each year, the practice is estimated to cost millions of dollars in unauthorized phone calls for Americans. Other states could soon be following New York's lead in dealing with the modem hijackers, thanks to the support of companies like Verizon and the support of federal officials.