Scams and Frauds: 809 Area Code

The scammers always amaze me at how clever they can be at separating normal,
honest people from their money. Who would have thought that simply calling a
simple phone number could cost a hundred dollars or more in fraudulent phone
charges?

This scam works this way. You receive an email, letter, or some other
communication which seeks to convince you to call a number in the 809 area
code. The message is always urgent (that's a common theme of virtually all
scams - they have to happen NOW) and appears important or critical.

You may receive a spam email which says something like, "You have 24 hours
to settle your outstanding debt before it is sent to collections. Call me
now at 809-xxx-xxxx to preserve your credit." Call the number and you will
be billed as much as $25 per minute!

Some people receive a postcard which states, "You have won! Call
809-xxx-xxxx to get your prize." Call the number and you will get your prize
all right - a $150 charge on your phone bill!

I've heard of someone that received an ICQ message saying their relative was
in the hospital with a terminal illness. The poor person called the "809"
number only to be put on hold for a very long time - over an hour, then get
hung up. He called over and over, frantic and distraught - and got a phone
bill of over a thousand dollars!

A very clever variant to this scam is a company that receives a FAX or phone
call requesting of all things a fax. Of course, the fax number is in the 809
area code. The company will fax some information back, and get charged over
a hundred dollars for the privilege!

Here's how this works. The 809 area code is similar in concept to 900
numbers. You get charged either per call or by the minute. The problem is
that the 809 area code is in a foreign country (the Dominican Republic in
the Caribbean) and thus is not covered by United States law.

In the United States, all 900 numbers must state in their advertisements and
at the start of the call the cost of the call. You also have a small period
of time (usually the first minute) to hang up without being charged.

The 809 area code has no such restrictions. And since you made the call
voluntarily, it's very difficult to get the phone company to reverse the
charges. In fact, in many cases you will find yourself arguing with a
foreign phone company which argues that you did make the call and they did
nothing wrong and thus you need to pay.

The way to fight this scam is to simply refuse to call any unknown phone
numbers in the 809 area code. In the company that I work in my day job, we
have completely blocked ALL calls to the 809 area code. We had to do this
after getting nailed for many thousands of dollars of fraudulent calls.

It is also important to understand that 900 number blocking does not apply
to the 809 area code. You have to depend upon your own knowledge of the scam
and simply resist the temptation to call the number.

About the Author

Richard Lowe Jr. is the webmaster of Internet Tips And Secrets. This
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