........FRAUD ALERT........

[Raju420]

........FRAUD ALERT........

Forwarded by Detective Craig Fritz, Janesville Police Dept.,
608-755-3044

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 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 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 U.S., you will apparently be
charged
$2,425 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 $24,100.

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 U.S. 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.

 

[guyver01]

<repeat post> and a fake one at that too..

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=38&amp;threadid=337614

 

[gittyup]

$2,425 per-minute

Wholly crap. :Q

 

[guyver01]

Real Scheme, Exaggerated Effects
by Asa Aarons

A consumer warning can save you time and money. But scare tactics often
have the opposite effect.

They exaggerate a potential problem so much that it sounds unbelievable,
causing many people to discount the message. Andrew Dean of Manhattan said that was his reaction
when he received a warning about a telephone scheme which could reportedly cost him $24,100 or more.

&quot;That's an awful lot of money,&quot; he said. &quot;The whole thing sounds bogus.
Is it?&quot;

Dean received information about what used to be called the 809 scam for
the area code you were instructed to dial. It involves unsolicited calls and messages from callers reportedly in the Caribbean, the location of the 809 area code.

There are many variations, but all of the schemes involve a message to
you via phone, pager or e-mail. The message entices -- or frightens you -- to immediately call a number, often in the 809 area code, to either collect a prize or receive urgent information about a friend or relative in trouble.
The problem: 809 calls are international numbers. Some of them are pay-per call numbers like 900 numbers. When you return a call, you could be charged rates as high as about$25 a minute.

Until a few years ago, the 809 area code covered most of the Caribbean.
In the past few years, more area codes have been added to cover specific countries. So now there are additional area codes which victims may call with the same results as the old 809 scam.

The warning Dean received was correct in theory, short on fact. If you call an unfamiliar number with a Caribbean area code, you may end up with a big phone bill, but $100 seems more realistic than $24,100.

My advice: be wary of area codes you don't recognize, especially if they're outside the United States.

(Asa Aarons is a consumer reporter who appears on WNBC-TV, Channel 4, News. His special Daily News column appears Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Send your questions to: Ask
Asa, P.O. Box 3310, New York, N.Y. 10116 or e-mail him at DNconsumer@aol.com. Questions can be answered only through this column.)

 

[LadyNiniane]

Go here to verify/debunk all such emails.

Guyver01 has it right - scare tactics aren't going to help. Ever heard of the boy who cried &quot;wolf!&quot;? In this case, the story is essentially correct, but the numbers mentioned are way outside the pale.

Use Snopes and educate your correspondents to do the same. And don't forward any message you can't verify for yourself.

Lady Niniane