This one is worth passing on to friends and family.
<< 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 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 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 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.
For additional information, the contact in Verizon for toll fraud is
Verizon Fraud Prevention Center. 1-800-745-6989 or on the web at >>
LINK
<< 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 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 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 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.
For additional information, the contact in Verizon for toll fraud is
Verizon Fraud Prevention Center. 1-800-745-6989 or on the web at >>
LINK
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