809 Scam BEWARE!!!!!!

Date: Tue, 19 Mar 2002 09:38:43 -0600 THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT
INFORMATION
>PROVIDED 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" 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 lots 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,

>where as 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
>Basalt Chamber of Commerce
>970-927-4031
>970-927-2833 (fax)
>basaltchamber.com
>basaltriverdays.com
>flyfishbasalt.com
>P O Box 514
>Basalt, Co.81621
>
>Sohan Singh Hayreh, MD, MS, PhD, DSc, FRCS, FRCOphth
>Professor Emeritus of Ophthalmology & Director Ocular Vascular Clinic
>Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences
>College of Medicine, University of Iowa
>200 Hawkins Drive
>Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1091
>Tel. 319-356-2947
>Fax 319-353-7996
>e-mail: sohan-hayreh@uiowa.edu
>
>
>
> > Sai D. Prasad
> >
> > Clinical Diagnostics Service
> > Molecular Otolaryngology Research Laboratories
> > University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
> > 3145 Med Labs
> > Iowa City IA 52242
> >
> > Work 319 335 7997
> > Fax 319 353 5869
> > email: sai-prasad@uiowa.edu
> >
> >

Thx for the tip!

Well, that's partially right. Here's the rest of it.

http://www.scambusters.org/809Scam.html

http://www.att.com/fraud/home.html#three

Charges for international calls are rarely more than $25 a minute, nowhere near several thousand. 809 is a perfectly legitimate area code. If you read scam busters website, the email posted here is actually spam, and nowhere near the real article. Looks real enough though I guess.

-Keisha