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The black fax prank is a prank in which an attacker faxes one or more entirely black pages to a company with the intent of inconveniencing the company, wasting their ink and toner, and potentially disabling their fax machine. Once the attacker begins faxing black pages, the recipient’s fax machine will continue to print black pages until it is completely drained of ink and turns off.
There are many situations in which businesses may receive an anonymous black fax. Black faxes may be sent by:
- Disgruntled employees targeting your business
- Individuals retaliating against businesses for sending junk faxes
- Organizations targeting other organizations, as in the case of United States of America v. Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty USA, Inc.
While it may seem like a harmless prank to some, it can completely disable a company’s fax machine, making it difficult for them to communicate and conduct business.
The black fax attack has been used in the past to harass large corporations, government institutions, and small businesses alike. Anonymous black faxes can be difficult to track, making it easy for pranksters to target businesses with little repercussions.
How the Black Fax Prank Impacts Businesses
Black faxes impact businesses in a few key ways.
First and foremost, black faxes can cost businesses money as they waste paper, toner, and ink. In some cases, the fax machine itself may break down due to being overloaded by faxes.
If the fax machine does break down or you run out of toner and ink due to the prank, you may not be able to conduct business or communicate with others until you’re able to replace your fax machine or purchase new materials. During the attack, you may also not be able to operate your fax machine as it is busy processing the black faxes.
Avoid Black Faxes with eFax
Anyone who knows your fax number can send black faxes, and with a traditional fax machine, this prank can result in significant expenses.
But with online fax services like eFax, businesses can minimize the impact that pranks like this one have on their companies.
With eFax, faxes are sent directly to your eFax account, giving you the ability to review faxes before printing them. If someone tries to spam you with black faxes, you can delete them without having to print them. This way, you don’t have to worry about wasting your paper, toner, or ink.
eFax makes it easy for businesses to send and receive faxes without having to worry about being victims of attacks like the black fax prank.
eFax Features & Benefits
eFax helps businesses minimize their risk of suffering damages from black fax pranks and similar attacks, but the benefits don’t stop there.
eFax offers users a wide range of great features and benefits that help them save money, save time, and boost productivity.
More Ways to Fax
eFax gives you multiple ways to send and receive faxes online. Users can send and receive faxes on desktop with their eFax account, through the eFax Messenger app, or fax via email. As long as you have access to the internet, you can always send faxes with eFax.
Mobile App
Don’t have access to your desktop or laptop? With the eFax mobile fax app, you can receive, sign, and send faxes right from your smartphone or tablet.
Toll-Free & Local Fax Numbers
Toll-free fax numbers help your business establish a national presence, while local fax numbers help you stay in touch with your local community. eFax members can choose either a toll-free or local fax number depending on the needs of their business.
Online Fax Storage
When you use eFax, you can store your faxes online and easily retrieve them at any time. You can tag your faxes with keywords to find them easily, and you can quickly find and download your stored faxes 24/7 through the eFax online portal or mobile app.
Cloud Storage
eFax integrates seamlessly with popular cloud storage platforms like Google Drive, iCloud, and Dropbox. Whenever you need to send a fax, you can quickly grab files from these cloud storage apps on your phone and attach them to your fax.
Electronic Signatures
eFax helps businesses and professionals streamline their document workflows with easy electronic signatures. You can sign documents directly from your phone, tablet, or computer, and return them in a matter of minutes, making it easier than ever to close deals and respond quickly to customers and clients.
After following these steps, eFax will securely deliver your fax to the intended recipient.
Large File Sharing
You can use eFax to share files with clients and coworkers that are too large to send via email, such as high-res images and videos or work presentations, to up to 20 recipients at a time.
Find Faxes Fast
eFax makes it as easy as possible to organize and locate your faxes. Search for faxes by keyword, recipient name, date, or tag to find documents as quickly as possible.
FAQs
What is the black fax prank?
The black fax prank is a type of denial of service attack in which the attacker faxes one or multiple entirely black pages to a recipient, usually a business or government institution.
This prank can quickly drain the recipient’s toner and ink, resulting in monetary damages for the recipient. In some cases, the black fax prank can even cause the recipient’s fax machine to completely break down.
Is there any way to avoid the black fax prank?
The black fax prank may not be completely avoidable, but with online fax services like eFax, you can significantly mitigate the damages and inconveniences that it causes.
Since online fax services deliver faxes electronically, you can review your documents before printing them, making it easy to weed out spam faxes and avoid wasting materials.
Is it safe to send faxes online?
Yes, sending faxes online is safe to do. Online fax services implement several safety measures, including two-factor authentication, encryption, and more, to protect your private documents and information from falling into the wrong hands.
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eFax makes it easy to send and receive faxes without being vulnerable to pranks like this one.
