Area code 809: Telephone message scam can be a costly mistake

October 09, 2002
Santa Paula News

A new number has been assigned to an older scam involving an urgent telephone message that, if called back, could cost you over $2,400 a minute, according to a Santa Paula Police Department official.

According to SPPD Sgt. Marshall, area code 809 is the new culprit, joining area codes 284 and 876 that also a scam.

By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesA new number has been assigned to an older scam involving an urgent telephone message that, if called back, could cost you over $2,400 a minute, according to a Santa Paula Police Department official.According to SPPD Sgt. Marshall, area code 809 is the new culprit, joining area codes 284 and 876 that also a scam.Sgt. Marshall said that Scam Busters, a national organization that alerts the public to those using illegal tactics to get your money, has issued the alert to warn the at times gullible public after being notified by Verizon and the National Fraud Information Service.“This is a benign scam,” that can involved a simple telephone message, Sgt. Marshall noted.People receiving the messages - which can also be left via email and on Web pages - have reported that a typical message is “Hi, this is Karen. Sorry I missed you, get back to us quickly. I have something important to tell you.”
The reason you are asked to call back the number can vary from receiving information about an ill family member, tell you that someone has been arrested, died, or to let you know you have won a wonderful prize.“Whatever the reason, you are asked to call back right away, and since there are so many new area codes these days, people unknowingly return these calls,” said Sgt. Marshall. “And, if you call from the U.S., you will apparently be charged $2,425 a minute!”The 809 area code is located in the British Virgin Islands Bahamas, and is not governed by U.S. regulations, which require that people be notified and warned of charges and rates involved in the call. There is also no requirement that the company provide a time period during which you may terminate a call without being charged.“Many homes that have blocking for 900 numbers (which charge for calls) won’t be protected from this scam,” said Sgt. Marshall.No matter how you get the message, ignore it: “If you are asked to call a number with the 809 area code just disregard the message. . .if it’s that important, someone will call you back and it doesn’t cost anything to answer your phone. It’s important to prevent becoming a victim of this scam since trying to fight the charges afterwards can be a nightmare. . .you did actually make the call and if you complain your both your local phone company and long distance carrier, there is nothing they can do. You end up arguing with a foreign company that will argue that they have done nothing wrong.”If you receive any suspicious messages or suspect a scam of any kind, call the SPPD at 525-4474.



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