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Phone Scams: BEWARE -Reply
Stephanie Wilson (swilson@CHEMONICS.COM)
Mon, 21 Oct 1996 13:42:12 -0400
>>> Sarah Marston <slm@richmondsterling.com> 10/17/96 12:48pm >>>
I haven't heard of this one before but I thought it was worth passing on.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> This message was forwarded to me by
>> James Murdock, the budget administrator
>> at the University of Michigan.
>>
>> He wrote: My apologies if you've seen this, but if you
>> have not its probably worth taking note of.
>> Sounds like a scam that could easily ruin your day.
>> You can't even trust your answering machine
>> these days.
>>
>> The Scam works basically like this:
>>
>> You get home and notice that the message
>> light is blinking on your answering machine.
>> You listen to the message, which has several
>> wrinkles, but the best one is the caller
>> asks you to call a number beginning
>> with area code 809 to receive information
>> about a family member who has been ill.
>> They may also tell you someone has
>> been arrested, died, you have won
>> a wonderful prize, etc.)
>>
>> In any event, concerned or curious,
>> you make the call. Sometimes the
>> phone will be answered by a person
>> who claims to speak broken English. (The
>> idea is to keep you on the line to build up
>> charges.) Or, sometimes you will ust get
>> a long recorded message. The bottom lines
>> is, when your phone bill comes, you see this
>> incredible charge, oftentimes more than $100.00
>> dollars!
>> Crooks are using the 809 numbers as
>> "pay-per-calls" and to get around the
>> US Regulations and 900 number blocking.
>> Every time you call the number,
>> they get a greatly inflated rebate from
>> the foreign phone company. Since the
>> 809 numbers are in the Caribbean,
>> they aren't bound by US 900# regulations
>> that require them to warn you of the charge
>> and rate involved, and also to provide a
>> time period during which you may terminate
>> the call without being charged.
>> The newest twist to this scam is to page
>> people using the 809 numbers. With the
>> new area code changes, people unknowingly
>> are returning these calls.
>> When the bill comes, there are HUGE
>> charges for the calls.
>> My suggestion is that no matter how you
>> get the message, If you are asked
>> to call a number with an 809 area a code
>> that you don't recognize, DON'T
>> RETURN THE CALL! It's bad enough
>> that the criminal is invading your privacy,
>> don't let them invade your wallet as well!
>>
>> Scams of this type are extremely hard
>> to prosecute and since you did
>> actually make the call, neither your local
>> phone company or your long
>> distance carrier will want to get involved.
>> They'll tell you that they are simply providing
>> the billing for the foreign company. You end up
>> trying
>> to deal (over the phone) with a foreign company
>> that feels they have done no
>> wrong. It can turn into a real nightmare!
>>
>> PLEASE FWD THIS MSG TO FRIENDS AND
>> LET PEOPLE BE AWARE OF IT!
>> Kristin Hinders
>> 118 TASF
>> Ames Laboratory
>> Ames, IA 50011
>> (515) 294-2327
>> FAX (515) 294-5204
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Associate Professor Steven Kass
>> University of Minnesota
>> Department of Chemistry
>> 207 Pleasant Street S.E.
>> Minneapolis, MN 55455
>> Phone: 612-625-7513
>> FAX: 612-626-7541
>> E-mail: kass@chem.umn.edu
>>
>>
>>
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