>
>You get home and notice that the message light is blinking on your
>answering
>
>machine. You listen to the message, which has several wrinkles, but
the
>best
>
>one is the caller asks you to call a number beginning with area code
809
>to
>
>receive information about a family member who has been ill. (they may
>also tell
>
>you someone has been arrested, died, you have won a wonderful prize,
>etc.)
>
>
>
>In any event, concerned or curious, you make the call. Sometimes the
>phone will
>
>be answered by a person who claims to speak broken English. (The idea
is
>to
>
>keep you on the line to build up charges.) Or, sometimes you will
just
>get a
>
>long recorded message. The bottom lines is, when your phone bill
comes,
>you see
>
>this incredible charge, oftentimes more than $100.00 dollars!
>
>
>
>Crooks ar using the 809 numbers as "pay-per-calls" and to get around
the
>US
>
>Regulations and 900 number blocking. Every time you call the number,
>they get a
>
>greatly inflated rebate from the foreign phone company. Since the 809
>numbers
>
>are in the Caribbean, they aren't bound by US 900# regulations that
>require them
>
>to warn you the charge and rate involved, and also to provide a time
>period
>
>during which you may terminate the call without being charged.
>
>
>
>The newest twist to this scam is to page people using the 809 numbers.
>With the
>
>new area code changes, people unknowingly are returning these calls.
>When the
>
>bill comes, there are HUGE charges for the calls.
>
>
>
>My suggestion is 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, DON'T
>RETURN THE
>
>CALL! It's bad enough that the criminal is invading your privacy,
don't
>let
>
>them invade your wallet as well!
>
>
>
>Scams of this type are extremely hard to prosecute and since you did
>actually
>
>make the call, neither your local phone company or your long distance
>carrier
>
>will want to get involved. They'll tell you that they are simply
>providing the
>
>billing for the foreign company that feels they have done no wrong.
It
>can turn
>
>into a real nightmare!
>
>
>
>PLEASE FWD THIS MSG TO FRIENDS AND LET PEOPLE BE AWARE OF IT!
>
>
>
>**********************
>
>
>
>------------------------- Original message header:
>
>>X-Envelope-To: jlawaich@[199.98.120.8]
>
>>Return-Path: <kanderson@ferrellcalvillo.com>
>
>(SMTPSRV); Fri 25 Oct 1996 12:19
>
by
>www.findsvp.com (8.6.9/8.6.9) with ESMTP id LAA05771 for
><jlawaich@findsvp.com>; Fri, 25 Oct 1996 11:09:31 -0400
>
>>From: kanderson@ferrellcalvillo.com
>
>(8.7.5/SMI-5.4-PSI)
>
>> id MAA28941; Fri, 25 Oct 1996 12:10:42 -0400 (EDT)
>
>
>> id AA846269851; Fri, 25 Oct 96 12:10:02 EST
>
>>Date: Fri, 25 Oct 96 12:10:02 EST
>
>>Message-Id: <9609258462.AA846269851@smtp.ferrellcalvillo.com>
>
>>To: danders@corus.jnj.com
>
>>Cc: jlawaich@findsvp.com
>
>>Subject: Stuart to the rescue
>
>------------------------- End of message header.
>
>
>
>
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