this doesn't have to do with vintage racing but you all should watch out for
this!!
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Subject: 809 Phone Scam
Author: Ronald DelPorto at Amsco-DP1
Date: 1/15/97 1:12 PM
DON'T RESPOND TO EMAILS, PHONE CALLS, OR PAGES
WHICH TELL YOU TO CALL AN "809" PHONE NUMBER
There is a recent scam that is spreading *extremely* quickly, can easily cost
you $100 or more, and is difficult to avoid unless you are aware of it. 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
basically works:
Email Permutation: You receive an email, typically with a subject line of
"*ALERT*" or "Unpaid account". The message says:
I am writing to give you a final 24hrs to settle your outstanding account. If
I
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.
Phone or Pager Permutation: 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 to 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 kinds 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 to your friends, family and colleagues to help them
become
aware of this scam so they don't get ripped off.
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