Monday, February 16, 2009

809, 284, and 876 area code warning

I looked it up on Snopes. It is true
http://www.snopes.com/fraud/telephone/809.asp


We actually received a call last
week from the 809 area code. The woman said 'Hey,
this is Karen . Sorry I missed you--get back to us
quickly. I have something important to tell you.' Then
she repeated a phone number beginning with 809 We didn't
respond.Then this week, we received the following
e-mail:

Do Not DIAL AREA CODE
809,
284, AND
876

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION
PROVIDED TO US BY AT&T. DON'T EVER DIAL AREA CODE
809

This one is being distributed all over the US . This is
pretty scary, especially given the way they try to get
you to call.

Be sure you read this and pass it on.

They get you to call by telling you that it is information about a family
member who has been ill or to tell you someone has been
arrested, died, or to let you know you have won a wonderful prize, etc.
In each case, you are told to call the 809 number right away.. Since there
are so many new area codes these days, people unknowingly return these calls.

If you call from the U.S. , you will apparently be
charged $2425 per-minute.

Or, you'll get a long recorded message. The point is, they will try
to keep you on the phone as long as possible to increase the charges.

WHY IT WORKS:

The 809 area code is located in the Dominican Republic .
The charges afterward can become a real
nightmare. That's because you did actually make the
call. If you complain, both your local phone company and
your long distance carrier will not want to get involved
and will most likely tell you that they are simply
providing the billing for the foreign company. You'll
end up dealing with a foreign company that argues they
have done nothing wrong.

Please forward this to your friends, family and colleagues to
help them become aware of this by clicking on the envelope at the bottom of this post
scam.
AT&T VERIFIES IT'S TRUE :
http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=6045
SNOPES VERIFIES IT'S TRUE:
http://www.snopescom/fraud/telephone/809.asp

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