>>>FYI
>>>>>>> A new scam has been identified by the National Fraud Information Center
>>>>> that is costing victims BIG BUCKS!
>>>>>>>> The scam works basically 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
>>>> wrinkles, 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. (They may also tell you 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 see this incredible charge, oftentimes
>>>> more than $100.00 dollars!
>>>>>>>> Crooks are using the 809 numbers as "pay-per-calls" and 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 Caribbean, they aren't
>>>> bound by US 900 number regulations that require them to warn you of
>>>> the charge and rate involved, and also to 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.
>>>>>>>> The National Fraud Information Center suggests 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, DON'T RETURN THE CALL! It's bad
>>>> enough that the criminal is invading your privacy, don't let them
>invade
>>>> you wallet as well!
>>>>>>>> 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!
>>>>>>>>> > > Please forward this to friends and family!!!!!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
James Woodson* (jwoodson at ucla.edu)
Dept. of Psychology - Behavioral Neuroscience
University of California at Los Angeles
405 Hilgard Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90095
" To make a great dream come true, the first requirement is a great
capacity to dream. The second is persistence - a faith in the dream." -
Hans Selye, M.D.
*Research in Learned Helplessness, Adenosine,
Anatomical Sex Differences in the Brain (SDN-POA), and Sexual Motivation
Standard disclaimer: Las opiniones de este mensaje son
personales y no comprometen las dependencias a cargo de la firmante.
