🚀 go-pugleaf

Fra en amerikansk bekendt har jeg f�et nedenst�ende advarsel om en ny
type SCAM med opfordring til at gi' videre:

WARNING - NEW SCAM

This scam has been big in the DC area and probably will be spreading 
around the country.

A new scam has been identified by the National Fraud Information
Center 
that is costing victims BIG BUCKS.

The scam basically works like this:

You get home and notice that the message light is blinking on your 
answering machine.  You listen to the message, which has several
variations,
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.  (or
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 line is, when your phone bill
comes, you 
will see this incredible charge - most of the time it's for more than
$100.

Here's how it works:
Crooks are using the 809 numbers as "pay-per-calls"  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 Carribean, they aren't bound by US 900#
regulations 
that require them to warn you of the charge and the rate involved or
provide 
you with a time period which you may terminate without being charged.

The newest twist to this scam is to page people using the 809 numbers.

With all the new area code numbers, people unknowingly are returning 
these calls. When the bill comes, there are HUGE charges for these
calls.

Scams of this type are 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.  So, don't
return 
any calls with an 809 area code, especially if it's from a message on
your 
answering machine.  When you make the call, you pay for it.

Pass the word around to everyone you know to put an end to this
scam!!!!