Fw: [alternacare] READ THIS - IT'S TRUE

[Guest guest]

-

" The Havens " <thehavens

<Recipient list suppressed>

Sunday, January 26, 2003 8:11 PM

[alternacare] READ THIS - IT'S TRUE

 

 

> I checked this out on urban legends (www.snopes.com) and it is true!

> It has happened before and it's happening again.

>

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> 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 " 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 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC . 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 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

>

>

<http://www.att.com/fraud/home.html#thre/s/>http://www.att.com/fraud/home.ht

ml#thre/s/

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

The post you sent to this list, Jerry, has some facts, and

some erroneous info. According to AT & T

http://www.att.com/fraud/home.html#thre/s/ the scam phonecalls do

*not* bill anyone for $2425 per-minute, but " The basic rate for a

call to the Dominican Republic is less than $3 a minute although some

809 numbers terminate with pay-per-call services that permit the levy

of additional fees. Since numbers located offshore are not subject to

U.S. laws, there are no legal requirements that consumers be informed

in advance of the extra charge. " (quote from AT & T site). Further,

the post sent to this list says the e-mail originated from an AT & T

Field Service Manager. AT & T says the person is fictitious.

 

I always do my homework before forwarding on any warning

e-mails -- especially if they say " READ THIS - IT'S TRUE " in all

caps.

 

Alobar

 

 

 

 

 

 

-

" Jerry Mittelman " <jmittelman

<Undisclosed-Recipient:;>

Sunday, January 26, 2003 7:44 PM

Fw: [alternacare] READ THIS - IT'S TRUE

 

 

> -

> " The Havens " <thehavens

> <Recipient list suppressed>

> Sunday, January 26, 2003 8:11 PM

> [alternacare] READ THIS - IT'S TRUE

>

>

> > I checked this out on urban legends (www.snopes.com) and it is

true!

> > It has happened before and it's happening again.

> >

> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> > 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 " 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 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC . 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 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

> >

> >

>

<http://www.att.com/fraud/home.html#thre/s/>http://www.att.com/fraud/

home.ht

> ml#thre/s/

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >