Current
Scam: Please Read....
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=21 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, but 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.
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 thecall. 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.
Innovative Internet Solutions
