dont call back or answer! ( not me )

[speeddemon]

VERY GOOD INFORMATION






809 Area Code
We 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 w ill 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 message to your friends, family and colleagues to
help them become aware of this
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

 

[Sturgis Sledder]

It's only partially true

If you receive such an email, keep in mind that while the modus operandi described does indeed take place, you should also be aware of the following:

* Not all phone numbers with 809 in the area code is part of this scam; most 809 numbers are legitimate, ordinary numbers.
* This scam has been used with area codes aside from 809.
* It is not, in fact, $2400 per minute; the figures involved with this scam have been greatly exaggerated over the years.
* The average US consumer is unlikely to encounter the scam itself.

 

[Ex-Member]

Protip: can look up all kinds of info on telephone area code/exchanges here:

and yeah, there's a handful of international numbers that look a lot like US numbers. 876 would be jamaica, 284's british virgin islands. Most of the time you'd need to dial the country code before the 10-digit number, but some calling plans may not require that (I don't have to prefix "1" to dial a number outside of my phone's area code, for example).