809 is the Dominican Republic so that may be why...
Randy Remote wrote:
> I've heard of this. They had these people on TV that had it
> happen to them. Hard to believe our stateside phone companies or
> regulatory agencies can't or won't do anything about it.
> RR
>
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
> > My tech expert has a message service that warns him (and his clients) of all
> > serious matters. This was sent to him. Its real, unfortunately. marcel deste
> > Please note the following, and be advised to heed the warning.
> >
> > Barry
> >
> > Better to be safe then sorry, especially since this sorry comes with a
> > high price tag.
> >
> > Warning - 809 Area Code Trick Can Be Extremely Costly.
> >
> > 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 & pass it on
> > to all your friends and family so they don't get scammed!
> >
> > 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 $24,100 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, but HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:
> > You will receive a message on your answering machine or 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 and 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 $24,000.00.
> >
> > WHY IT WORKS:
> > The 809 area code is located in the British Virgin Islands (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 U.S., 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. phones have 900 number
> > blocking to avoid these kinds of charges, 900 number blocking will not
> > prevent 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 and/or investigate further and 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.
> > Things are about to get worse, because that infamous off-shore area
> > code (809) is in the process of breaking up into smaller ones.
> >
> > Soon, you will have to think twice about calling any of the following
> > area codes:
> > 242, 246, 264, 268, 284, 345, 441, 473,
> > 664, 758, 767 784,
> > 787, 868, 869, 876 as well as 809.
> >
> > For non-believers - Please visit these websites!!
> >
> > National Fraud Information Center
> > http://www.fraud.org/
> >
> > AT&T's fraud information page
> > http://www.att.com/fraud/home.html#three
