Please read!!!

[Crazzy_Al]

I'm not how true this is, but I figured that it wouldn't hurt to pas this info on...

>> Subject: Fw: Area code 809 284 876 - WATCH OUT !
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>We actually received a call last week from the 809 area
>>>code.
>>>The woman said "Hey, this is Karen. Sorry I missed you--get back
>>>to
>>>us
>>>
>>>quickly.
>>>
>>>Have something important to tell you." Then she repeated a phone
>>>number
>>>beginning with 809 . "We didn't
>>>respond".
>>>
>>>
>>>Then this week, we received the following
>>>e-mail:
>>>
>>>
>>>Subject: DON'T EVER DIAL AREA CODE 809, 284 AND
>>>876
>>>
>>>
>>>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 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" area 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
>>>$2400
>>>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
>>>$24,100.00.
>>>
>>>
>>>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 e-mail, 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

[Crazzy_Al]

What the hell?!?!?!?! I JUST received a call on my cell phone from 809-822-4455 at exactly 10:02pm. That was weird!!!

[cobrafreak01]

Looks legit but not severe: http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/809.asp

[99SVTAddict]

Thank you detective.

[1Quick88]

thanks for the info

[357windsor]

I never call numbers I don't know. Thanks for the info though!

[cobrafreak01]

Any worthless email sent like this is researched by snopes. Cool little site.

[Crazzy_Al]

It turns out that that call I got might have been made by some asshole with a program that allows one, to call people and show a made up number on the called person's caller ID...

[Crazzy_Al]

More info from a Chi-Town friend on the MPH board...

Originally Posted by CobraSpence, Sep 20 2005, 02:07 PM

...The 809 phone scam is true. You should pass on this link from att's website instead of the made-up hoax email though.
http://www.consumer.att.com/consumertips/areacode.html

Don't forget to add 284 and 876 to the list of Carribean telephone exchanges that these scams are run from.

Spencer

[BigWheelinBubba]

Originally Posted by Crazzy_Al

It turns out that that call I got might have been made by some asshole with a program that allows one, to call people and show a made up number on the called person's caller ID...

I know what asshole you're referring to and it wasn't me