The scam works basically like this:
You get home and notice that the light is blinking
on your answering machine. You listen to the message, which
has several wrinkles, but the best one involves the caller asking 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.)
Concerned, curious or greedy, 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, you may just get a long
recorded message. The bottom line is, when your phone bill
arrives, YOU are hit with this incredible charge; often more than
$100.00!!!
Crooks are using the 809 numbers for "pay-per-calls" that are not subject to
US law or 900 number blocking. Every time
you call the number, the bad guys recieve 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 of the charge and rate involved, nor must they
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.
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. You end up trying to
deal (over the phone) with a foreign company that feels they
have done no wrong. It can turn into a real nightmare!
My suggestion is... 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...
It's bad enough that the criminal is invading your privacy; don't let him/her invade your wallet, too!
