Dont call numbers with 809 area code!!!! Serious scam!!!

A relative of mine emailed me this:

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.
> > > 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 email:
> > >
> > >
> > > Subject: DON'T EVER 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 to all your friends and family so they don't get
> > > scammed! MAJOR SCAM: Don't respond to Emails, phone calls, or web
>pages
> > >
> > > which tell you to call an "809" area Phone Number.
> > >
> > >
> > > This is a very important issue of Scam Busters because it alerts you
>to
> > >
> > > a scam that is spreading *extremely* quickly, can easily cost you
>$2400
> > > or more, and is difficult to avoid unless you are aware of it. We'd
> > > like to thank Verizon for bringing this scam to our attention. This
> > > scam has also been identified by the National Fraud Information
>Center
> > > and is costing victims a lots of money. There are lots of different
> > > permutations of this scam.
> > >
> > >
> > > HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:
> > >
> > >
> > > You will 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 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 US, 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. Unfortunately, when you get your phone bill, you'll often
>be
> > > charged more than $24,100.00.
> > >
> > >
> > > 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 U.S. 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,
> > > where as many U.S. homes that have 900 number blocking to avoid
>these
> > > kinds of charges, do not work in preventing 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, just
> > > disregard the message.
> > >
> > >
> > > Be 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 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 entire message to your friends, family and
> > > colleagues to help them become aware of this scam.
> > >
> > >
> > > Sandi Van Handel
> > > AT&T Field Service Manager
> > > (920)687-904

Here's something I found....no need to panic:

Reprinted from Internet ScamBusters Issue #34
September 16, 1999

We recently discovered that an issue of Internet ScamBusters - written in 1996 - has resurfaced and is being sent around the Net as spam. This email is about the 809 area code scam, and the "revised" version contains some important mistakes. It is being sent around as if it comes from Internet ScamBusters.

In this issue, we'll correct the mistakes and give you an update on how this scam has changed - and not changed - in the past three years.

We thought this is important for you for two reasons. First, the 809 scam is still thriving, so it's still important to protect yourself. Second, this kind of problem - where an email or e-zine you write is changed and then sent around as spam with you as the supposed author - could happen to you as well, and we'll present some ideas about what to do if this does happen to you.

If you're wondering how we found out about this problem, we discovered it in two ways. First, we simply received a copy of one of the emails from a customer. Second, we visit http://groups.google.com/ every couple of weeks to see what is being said about us and Internet ScamBusters in the newsgroups. We discovered that there has been a lively thread about this topic in the alt.folklore.urban newsgroup. It has also been discussed in the rec.arts.sf.fandom, alt.books.david-weber, rec.autos.makers.jeep+willys, and several other newsgroups.

Before we get to the mistakes and changes people made to our issue of Internet ScamBusters, here is a brief review of the 809 scam:

The "809" scam has many permutations but they all involve a message to you (either by email, phone or pager) that you immediately call or fax a number in the "809" area code or some other area code in the Caribbean. Examples of why you should call or fax the phone number include avoiding litigation, receiving information about someone who has been arrested or died, winning a wonderful prize, or getting a job.

The "809" area code is in the Caribbean, yet most people are not aware that they are making an international call when they dial the "809" area code, since you simply dial 1-809-xxx-xxxx to make the call. No international codes are required.

The problem comes from the fact that some phone numbers in the "809" area code are "pay-per-call" numbers (such as 900 numbers in the US) - but there are no legal requirements that callers be informed that they are being charged extra in the Caribbean. When you return one of these "pay-per-call" 809 calls, the scamsters try to keep you on the phone as long as possible, and you may be charged very high rates for the call, reportedly up to $25 per minute.

It is difficult to get credit for these charges if you do get scammed since you did make the call, and resolving the problem involves getting credit from international phone companies.

Since there are now many area codes in the Caribbean, this scam is no longer confined to just the 809 area code.

You can see the original issues about the 809 scam at http://www.scambusters.org/ScamBusters8.html and http://www.scambusters.org/ScamBusters9.html

OK, enough introduction. Now let's look at the mistakes in the new emails and posts about this topic:

Mistake: The beginning of the email says: "DO NOT EVER DIAL AREA CODE 809."

Comment: This is not our recommendation and we never wrote this. Most phone numbers in the 809 area code are legitimate.

Mistake: "Please forward this entire issue of Internet ScamBusters! to all your friends, family and colleagues to help them become aware of this scam so they don't get ripped off."

Comment: We never asked people to send the issue to everyone they know. This type of request is typical of spam, which we are very against. (We have asked subscribers to invite friends who would be interested to subscribe if they like Internet ScamBusters, but that's VERY different from everyone you know.) Please don't forward the bogus email message to anyone if you receive it. Just hit the delete key.

Mistake: The 809 area code is new.

Comment: The 809 area code is not new, and we never stated it was. It has been around for many years.

Mistake: Some spam versions of this email say that charges can be as high as $10,000.

Comment: This, of course, is very unlikely. We suggest charges might be as high as $100. $10,000 would mean the scamsters succeeded in keeping people on the phone for many, many hours.

Mistake: The new emailed version also includes a mistake in our first issue, which we corrected the second issue. We had mistakenly written: "The 809 area code is located in the British Virgin Islands (the Bahamas)."

Comment: Obviously, the British Virgin Islands and the Bahamas are not the same country.

Update on the 809 Scam

There are a number of changes that have occurred involving the 809 scam since we wrote about this in Internet ScamBusters three years ago.

Area codes have changed in many of the countries. Now, 809 is just for the Dominican Republic. For example, 242 is the area code for the Bahamas, 284 is for the British Virgin Islands, and 787 is for Puerto Rico. You can find all the new area codes at http://www.lincmad.com/caribbean.html. Or you can go to AT&T and look up any area code in the world.

You can also find area code maps of various regions in .pdf format at the North American Numbering Plan Administration site.

We have not been able to verify if charges are still as high as $25 per minute. It may be that the price today is significantly lower.

We spoke with Mr. Chavez at AT&T on September 12, 1999. He said that there have not been any changes lately regarding Caribbean area codes or scams that he is aware of. We have learned that AT&T did put out a bulletin that this scam continues to thrive. You can read their alert here..

We'd also heard there are now new related scams using the prefixes 500 and 700. These prefixes can be used for adult entertainment and for pay per call numbers. Some of these numbers are in the country Vanuatu. Mr. Chavez confirmed this.

You can learn more about this scam at:

Better Business Bureau (1997)
National Fraud Information Center
What to Do if Your e-Zine or Email Gets Changed and Then Spammed

It's a difficult situation to correct if this does happen to you. Here are a few things we are doing (or are about to do):

Place an announcement on our home page about the problem


Find all the newsgroups where the changed e-zine has been posted and reply with a simple, short, individual post explaining the problem and providing a link for more information


Respond to all individual copies of the email we receive by explaining the problem and providing a link for more information


Send a clear, short email to any reporters who emailed us about the new version


Write this issue of Internet ScamBusters ;-)
Finally, check out the issue of Internet ScamBusters on how to deal with lies about your company at http://www.scambusters.org/Scambusters29.html for additional tips.

Thanks for the heads-up

The 809 area code is the Dominican Republic.