> This long distance phone scam causes consumers to inadvertently incur high charges on their phone bills. Consumers usually receive a message telling them to call a phone number with an 809, 284, 649, or 876 area code in order to collect a prize, find out information about a sick relative, etc. The caller assumes the number is a typical three-digit U.S. area code; however, the caller is actually connected to a phone number outside the United States, often in Canada or the Caribbean, and charged international call rates. Unfortunately, consumers don't find out that they have been charged higher international call rates until they receive their bill.
Be careful out there.....
A few years back this was a common scam involving fax trash - unsolicited faxes which would come into your office for free vacations, weight loss programs or toner sales, etc, etc, ad nauseum. In order to be taken off their mailing list, they asked that you simply call the number below, follow a few simple instructions and eventually punch in your fax number to be removed. The actual call, waiting on hold for the next operator and a slow connect would take several minutes and could rack up a huge phone bill. I guess with the decreasing number of fax machines due to computer faxing ability, they have to think up new ways of getting you to fall for the scam and call them. Always good to look up the area code on the computer before dialing it up.
Be careful accepting toll calls from overseas
If you do not have an international package with your phone carrier, AT&T will pickup the call and charge over $10min. They can do this because there is no international policy on phone rates.
I do not understand how this works.
How can a scammer make money from me if I call them?
Would not my regular phone carrier be the one making the money?
Anyway, this is yet another reason why I NEVER EVER answer a phone call from a number I do not immediately recognize. Besides that, all numbers I do recognize are already in my phone book list so MagicJack automatically translates that number to my book entry as I entered it. e.g. "Dad's cell phone" or "Dad's House landline". If it is someone that knows me, they can leave a message and I will happily call them back - usually almost immediately.
If no message is left, I will do a reverse lookup to see who it might be or where the number initiates from. From that I may, usually not, call it back to see what is up.
E
