Theos-Talk Archives (October 1996 Message tl00718)

>X-Sender: kathied@postoffice.worldnet.att.net
>To: liesel@dreamscape.com
>From: Kathleen Delaney <kathied@worldnet.att.net>
>Subject: [Fwd: Telephone Scam Alert]
>Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 00:38:38 +0000
>
>Liesel,
>
>Just received this and thought you would be interested.
>
>Jim
>
>>From: Peter Wynyard <wynyard@worldnet.att.net>
>>To: kathied
>>Subject: [Fwd: Telephone Scam Alert]
>>Organization: Licensed Real Estate Broker
>>Date: Tue, 29 Oct 96 01:16:45 +0000
>>
>>To: wynyard@worldnet.att.net
>>From: JohnFairfield@nycnet.com (JohnFairfield)
>>Received: from prozac.nycnet.com ([204.141.180.6])
>>          by mtigwc02.worldnet.att.net (post.office MTA v2.0 0613 )
>>          with ESMTP id AAA10234 for <wynyard@worldnet.att.net>;
>>          Sat, 19 Oct 1996 12:39:27 +0000
>>Received: from zoloft ([204.141.180.4]) by prozac.nycnet.com
>>          (post.office MTA v1.9.3 **** trial license expired ****)
>>          with SMTP id AAA82 for <wynyard@worldnet.att.net>;
>>          Sat, 19 Oct 1996 08:46:14 +0000
>>Subject: Telephone Scam Alert
>>Message-ID: <msg60621.845728414@nycnet.com>
>>Path: nycnet.com!JohnFairfield
>>Organization: NYC NET
>>X-Gateway: NASTA Gate 1.02 for FirstClass(R)
>>Date: Sat, 19 Oct 96 07:41:40 +0000
>>X-Mozilla-Status: 0001
>>Mime-Version: 1.0
>>Content-Type: Text/Plain;
>>	charset=ISO-8859-1
>>Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8Bit
>>
>>
>>
>>Subject: ALERT!!
>>Subject: Be careful and don't...!!
>>
>>All you have to do is NOT call any 809 phone number. Forwarned is fore
>>armed!!!
>>
>>Subject: FW: Internet ScamBusters!  Issue>#8
>>Date: Tuesday, October 08, 1996 6:28AM
>>
>>Internet ScamBusters! - - exposing what really works and what doesn't-
>>Issue #8  October 7, 1996
>>
>>******* SPECIAL ALERT
>>*******
>>SCAM: Don't Respond To Emails, Phone Calls, Or Pages Which Tell You To
>>Call An "809" Phone Number
>>
>>This is a very important issue of Internet ScamBusters! because it
>>alerts you
>>to a scam that is: - spreading *extremely* quickly - can easily cost
>>you $100
>>or more, and - is difficult to avoid unless you are aware of it. We'd
>>like to
>>thank Paul Bruemmer and Brian Stains for bringing this scam to our
>>attention
>>both will receive Internet ScamBusters! tee shirts.  This scam has also
>>been
>>identified by the National Fraud Information Center and is costing
>>victims a
>>lot of  money.
>>
>>There are lots of different permutations of this scam, but here is how
>>it
>>works:
>>
>>Permutation #1: Internet Based Phone Scam Via Email You receive an
>>email, typically with a subject line of "*ALERT*" or "Unpaid account."
>>The
>>message,
>>which is being spammed across the net, says:
>>
>>    I am writing to give you a final 24hrs to settle your outstanding
>>account. If we have not received the settlement in full, I will commence
>>legal proceedings without further delay. If you would like  to discuss
>>this
>>matter to avoid court action, call Mike Murray at Global Communications
>>on +1
>>809 496 2700.
>>--------------------------------------------------------
>>Permutation #2: Phone Or Pager Scam You receive a message on your
>>answering machine or your pager which asks you to call a number
>>beginning with area code 809.  The reason you're asked to call varies:
>>it can
>>be  to receive information about a family member who has been ill, to
>>tell
>>you someone has been arrested, died, to let you know you have won a
>>wonderful
>>prize, etc.  In each
>>case, you're 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 US, you will apparently be
>>charged
>>$25 per-minute!    Sometimes the person who answers the phone will speak
>>broken English and pretend not to understand you.  Other times, you'll
>>just
>>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.
>>Unfortunately, when you get your phone bill, you'll often be charged
>>more
>>than $100.00
>>
>>Here's why it works:  The 809 area code is located in the British Virgin
>>Islands (the Bahamas).  The 809 area code can be used as a
>>"pay-per-call"
>>number, similar to 900 numbers in the US.  Since 809 is not in the US,
>>it is
>>not covered by US regulations of 900 numbers, which require that you be
>>notified and warned of charges and rates involved when you call a
>>  "pay-per-call" number.
>>     There is also no requirement that the company provide a time period
>>during which you may terminate the call without being charged.  Further,
>>whereas many US phones have 900 number blocking (to avoid these hinds of
>>charges), 900 number blocking will not prevent calls to the 809 area
>>code.
>>
>>We recommend 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, investigate
>>further
>>and/or disregard the message.  Be *very* wary of email or calls asking
>>you to
>>call an 809 area code number.
>>
>>It's important to prevent becoming a victim of this scam, since trying
>>to
>>fight the charges afterwards can become a real nightmare. That's
>>because you
>>did actually make the call.  If you complain, both our 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 entire issue of Internet ScamBusters! to your
>>friends,
>>family and colleagues to help them become aware of this scam so they
>>don't
>>get ripped off.
>>                             Jerry R. Entwistle L.
>>                   TEMUCO, CHILE, SOUTH AMERICA
>>                          entwistl@chilepac.net
>>This might be somthing you might want to take a look at and be on the
>>lookout for.
>>						Cal
>>
>>
>>
>>
>Kathie
>
>
>