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Don't Return This Call!
(Thanks to jfwink66 for sending this in!)
Subject: 809 Area Code
We actually received a call last week from the
809 area code. The woman said "Hey, this is Karen. Sorry I missed
you--get back to us quickly. Have something important to tell
you" and left a phone number beginning with 809.
We did not respond.
Then this week, we received the following email:
Subject: DON'T EVER DIAL AREA CODE 809, 284 AND 876 THIS IS VERY
IMPORTANT INFORMATION PROVIDED TO US BY AT&T. DON'T EVER DIAL
AREA CODE 809.
This one is being distributed all over the US.
This is pretty scary, especially given the way they try to get
you to call.
Be sure you read this and pass it on to all your
friends and family so they don't get scammed!
MAJOR SCAM: Don't respond to e-mails, 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 $2400 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 lots 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. That's not a
typo!
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 $24,100.00.
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 e-mail
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.
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