lighteningstrike
October 1st, 2002, 11:10pm
___I just read Brent's "another sweepstakes scam" and prompted my to post this - it's not sweepstakes related but it may cost you $$$$$
___I was informed by my father, he wanted me to warn my sister who easily falls prey to these things. My father was informed by Verizon.
___THE SCAM: you get a message on your answering machine, pager, e-mail - whatever. You are informed that it is important that you return a call beginning with an 809 AREA CODE. DO NOT DIAL THIS NUMBER - YOU WILL BE BILLED $2425 per MINUTE!!!
___The 809 area code is in the Dominican Republic where 809's are used like 900's here - the are 'pay-per-call' numbers.
___Your phone companies (local, long distance carriers etc.) will say 'sorry - we can't do a thing'. YOU're dealing with a foreign company subject to foreign laws (in this case the Dominican Republic). You're on your own and the debt is real.
___My Dad got his information from a Sandi Van Handel (AT&T Field Service Manager 920-687-904) although she had nothing to do with this post (and that phone # has to be wrong). Additional info can be obtained at the AT&T web site.
___There's also references to the Nation Fraud Information Center and ScamBusters although I have no more information about them - you could probably gOOgle something about them.
___People have lost as much as US$ 25,000.
AN UPDATE: if you check the AT&T site you'll likely see nothing about this. You may believe the Scam is a Hoax. It Is Not!
__use AT&Ts search engine (the little 'search our site' gray bosx that most sites have). Enter '809 area code' - it will take you to their consumer info section.
FURTHER UPDATE: Try this link:
http://www.consumer.att.com/consumertips/area_code.html
___:cheer4:
___I was informed by my father, he wanted me to warn my sister who easily falls prey to these things. My father was informed by Verizon.
___THE SCAM: you get a message on your answering machine, pager, e-mail - whatever. You are informed that it is important that you return a call beginning with an 809 AREA CODE. DO NOT DIAL THIS NUMBER - YOU WILL BE BILLED $2425 per MINUTE!!!
___The 809 area code is in the Dominican Republic where 809's are used like 900's here - the are 'pay-per-call' numbers.
___Your phone companies (local, long distance carriers etc.) will say 'sorry - we can't do a thing'. YOU're dealing with a foreign company subject to foreign laws (in this case the Dominican Republic). You're on your own and the debt is real.
___My Dad got his information from a Sandi Van Handel (AT&T Field Service Manager 920-687-904) although she had nothing to do with this post (and that phone # has to be wrong). Additional info can be obtained at the AT&T web site.
___There's also references to the Nation Fraud Information Center and ScamBusters although I have no more information about them - you could probably gOOgle something about them.
___People have lost as much as US$ 25,000.
AN UPDATE: if you check the AT&T site you'll likely see nothing about this. You may believe the Scam is a Hoax. It Is Not!
__use AT&Ts search engine (the little 'search our site' gray bosx that most sites have). Enter '809 area code' - it will take you to their consumer info section.
FURTHER UPDATE: Try this link:
http://www.consumer.att.com/consumertips/area_code.html
___:cheer4: