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Thread: 809 Scam BEWARE!!!!!!

  1. #1

    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
    > >
    > >

  2. #2
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Posts
    11
    Thx for the tip!
    \"Problems cannont be solved at the same level of awareness that created them.\" --Albert Einstein

  3. #3

    Post Scam within scam

    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
    www.notinourname.net
    www.nion.us

    Read them.

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