Voice-mail virus

The voice-mail virus seems to be spreading all over Jakarta's telephone system. It latches onto our home telephones, then activates after three rings. People can be trying to get you for weeks and still not get past it.

Why is it on our telephones? At whose request is it installed? Many of my tortured friends and I have tried to have it removed without success. If all else fails, then how do we access this voice-mail? Many have said they have left messages on our "answering machines", so the messages must be piling up somewhere. Is it possible to activate and deactivate this at convenience? Or even to change the number of rings as to when it comes on.

Please help us work out this system to our advantage.

KAREN IDE

Jakarta