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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. His website includes over 1,000 free articles to improve your internet profits, enjoyment and knowledge. Click here for more information on his weekly newsletter or send a message to internet-tips@GetResponse.com for Daily Tips.