all read and BEWARE:
Please pass the following information on to all of your company employees.
Thank you.
MAJOR SCAM:
Don't respond to Emails, phone calls, or web pages which tell you to call
an "809" Phone Number. This is a very important issue of Scam Busters
because it alerts you to a scam that is spreading *extremely* quickly can
easily cost you $24100 or more, and is difficult to avoid unless you are
aware of it. We'd like to thank Verizon for bringing this scam to our
attention. This scam has also been identified by the National Fraud
Information Center and is costing victims a lot of money. There are lots
of different permutations of this scam.
HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:
You will receive a message on your answering machine or your pager, which
asks you to call a number beginning with area code 809. The reason you're
asked to call varies. It can be to receive information about a family
member who has been ill, to tell you someone has been arrested, died, to
let you know you have won a wonderful prize, etc. In each case, you are
told to call the 809 number right away. Since there are so many new area
codes these days, people unknowingly return these calls. If you call from
the US, you will apparently be charged $2425 per-minute. Or, you'll get a
long recorded message. The point is, they will try to keep you on the phone
as long as possible to increase the charges. Unfortunately, when you get
your phone bill, you'll often be charged more than $24100.00.
WHY IT WORKS:
The 809 area code is located in the British Virgin Islands (The Bahamas).
The 809 area code can be used as a "pay-per-call" number, similar to 900
numbers in the US. Since 809 is not in the US, it is not covered by U.S.
regulations of 900 numbers, which require that you be notified and warned
of charges and rates involved when you call a pay-per-call" number. There
is also no requirement that the company provide a time period during which
you may terminate the call without being charged. Further, whereas many
U.S. homes that have 900 number blocking to avoid these kinds of charges, do
not work in preventing calls to the 809 area code. We recommend that no
matter how you get the message, if you are asked to call a number with an
809 area code that you don't recognize just disregard the message. Be wary
of email or calls asking you to call an 809 area code number. It's
important to prevent becoming a victim of this scam, since trying to fight
the charges afterwards can become A real nightmare. That's because you did
actually make the call. If you complain, both your local phone company and
your long distance carrier will not want to get involved and will most
likely tell you that they are simply providing the billing for the foreign
company. You'll end up dealing with a foreign company that argues they have
done nothing wrong.
Please forward this entire message to your friends, family and colleagues
to help them become aware of this scam.
Sandi Van Handel
AT&T Field Service Manager
(920) 687-904
Additional information can be obtained from the following AT&T Web Site
att.com |
