This is an edited version of an old alert from ScamBusters.org. As they
state on their site they later corrected this because The B.V.I. is an
entirely different place from The Bahamas. They also urge passing this
along but specifically ask that it not be spammed. Apparently this has
become a favorite topic for Internet chain letters and this particular
message is often altered from the original, most often the amount. Also, as
they state, there are legitimate numbers in the 809 area code which are not
"pay-per-minute" based - you just never know before hand because hey don't
have to tell you.
Check out www.ScamBusters.org <
http://www.ScamBusters.org> for the original
info as well as other scams.
-Todd C.
-----Original Message-----
From: Wendy Bowen (Pursche) [mailto:
wpursche@...]
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2001 1:32 PM
To:
vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] (off topic) phone scams
I normally only like to send emails with valuable off topic info, so I think
this would definitely qualify for the various companies that we all work
for.
It came to me from a reliable source.
****************************************************************************
**********
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION PROVIDED TO US BY AT&T. 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 $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.
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. homes that have 900 number
blocking to avoid these kinds of charges, do not work in preventing
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 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.
Sandi Van Handel
AT&T Field Service Manager
(920) 687-904
Additional information can be obtained from the following AT&T Web Site
http://www.att.com/fraud/home.html#thre/s/
<
http://www.att.com/fraud/home.html#thre/s/>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Useful links for the Yahoo!Groups Vantage Board are: ( Note: You must have
already linked your email address to a yahoo id to enable access. )
(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report Builder and
Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.
<
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.>
(2) To search through old msg's goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages
<
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages>
(3) To view links to Vendors that provide Vantage services goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links
<
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links>
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service
<
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> .
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]