809 Phone Number Scam

[Wojtek Sokolowski <sokol@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>Return-path: <lindal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 13:48:51 -0400
>From: Linda Liu <lindal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: 809 Phone Number Scam
>X-Sender: lindal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>To: dma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, hanheier@xxxxxxx, barnow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
> mbell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, annachan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
> cline@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, istrmbd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
> dugan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, aeppler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
> feldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, mpfk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
> joanne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, dkantor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, sdk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
> lana@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, mitchell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, sjn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
> noffke@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, packer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
> jh_cnpsp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, arbq84a@xxxxxxxxxxx, rrippeto@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
> lsalamon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, schaub_d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
> sokol@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, dees@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, mteague@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
> stoepler@xxxxxxx, Jackie Perry <jperry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>F.Y.I. -  please be aware of this 809 phone number.
>
>
>SCAM: Don't Respond To Emails, Phone Calls, Or Pages Which Tell You To
>     Call An "809" Phone Number
>
>     This is a very important issue of Internet ScamBusters! because it
>     alerts you to a scam that is: - spreading *extremely* quickly - can
>     easily cost you $100 or more, and - is difficult to avoid unless
>you
>     are aware of it. We'd like to thank Paul Bruemmer and Brian Stains
>for
>     bringing this scam to our attention - both will receive Internet
>     ScamBusters! tee shirts.  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 is
>how
>     it works:
>
>      Permutation #2: Phone Or Pager Scam You receive a message on your
>     answering machine or your pager which asks you to call a number
>     beginning with area code 809.  The reason to 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're
>told
>     to call the 809 number right away.
>
>     Permutation #1: Internet Based Phone Scam Via Email You receive an
>     email, typically with a subject line of "*ALERT*" or "Unpaid
>account."
>      The message, which is being spammed across the net, says:
>
>     ----------------------------------------------------------
>     I am writing to give you a final 24hrs to settle your outstanding
>     account. If I have not received the settlement in full, I will
>     commence legal proceedings without further delay. If you would like
>to
>     discuss this matter to avoid court action, call Mike Murray at
>Global
>     Communications on +1 809 496 2700.
>     ----------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>     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 $25 per-minute!  Sometimes the person who answers the phone
>     will speak broken English and pretend not to understand you.  Other
>     times, you'll just 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 $100.00.
>
>     Here's 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 US 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
>US
>     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,
>     investigate further and/or disregard the message.  Be *very* 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 our
>     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 issue of Internet ScamBusters! to your
>     friends, family and colleaguesto help them become aware of this
>scam
>     so they don't get ripped off.
>Linda Liu
>Institute for Policy Studies
>Johns Hopkins University
>Wyman Park Building, 5th Floor
>3400 N. Charles Street
>Baltimore, MD 21218
>Tel: 410-516-7177
>Fax: 410-516-8233
>
>
wojtek sokolowski
institute for policy studies
johns hopkins university
baltimore, md 21218
sokol@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
voice: (410) 516-4056
fax:   (410) 516-8233


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|   Wenn ich Kultur hore, entsichere ich meinen Browning. -Hanns Johst   |
|                                                                        |
|   When I hear the words 'family values,'  I reach for my revolver.     |
|                     (no apologies to Hanns Johst)                      |
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