DON'T EVER USE A CARRIER THAT DOESN'T BILL IN REAL MINUTES

There are some clever carriers that advertise what seem to be very low rates. However, what they don't tell you is that their rates ARE NOT billed in minutes, but rather some ridiculous method called "TOTAL CALL UNITS - or - TCUs" When you get your bill you cannot find any corrolation to normal time/charges as most people understand real minutes to be. Always ask if billing is in real minutes. If you think you have been scammed by one of these carriers, please feel free to email us for assistance.

Beware of Scams

Because of deregulation, there are a lot of companies out there offering long distance services, and cheap rates. Most of them are legitimate, but there are some out to scam money, and then disappear. Here are some things to watch out for:

• INTRODUCTORY OFFERS:
Some companies may give you a discounted rate for a limited time, then increase your rates until you cancel. Some even charge a fee for change in service. Ask about fees and cancellation policies before you sign up.

• SLAMMING:
This refers to unauthorized switching of your phone service from your long distance carrier to another without your consent. This practice may involve misleading marketing or outright fraud. Federal law and the FCC prohibit slamming. The FCC requires long distance companies to obtain your authorization before changing your long distance provider.

• VERIFICATION GIMMICKS:
Some companies may call you offering a great deal for one service, but when you speak to a verifier to complete the sale, they may attempt to sell you additional services. Be completely clear on the deal before you are transferred to the verifier. Then listen carefully to confirm that you are buying only what you agreed to.

• HUGE DISCOUNTS:
Some long distance companies encourage you to switch by offering huge discounts. Often they are only comparing their rates to the highest rates of well-known carriers and may charge a hidden monthly access fee.

• CHECK'S IN THE MAIL:
Be cautious about checks from telephone companies offering money to switch to their service. Some companies may not put you on their best savings plan and you can end up paying more in monthly rates than the value of the check. Look on the back of the check to see if you need to mark a box to receive discounted service. The check must clearly state that the customer is authorizing a change in service and offer a full explanation of the charges you are authorizing next to the signature of the check. If you do cash the check, quickly call the carrier's customer service to make sure that you have been placed in the best discount program.

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" Phone Number. This is a very important issue because it alerts you to a scam that is spreading *extremely* quickly, can easily cost you $25 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 lot 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 $25 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 $100.00

WHY IT WORKS:
The 809 area code is located in the Dominican Republic.  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, whereas 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.

Be cautious about area codes you don't recognize. Check your telephone directory or call the operator to determine where the area code is before making your call.

809 PHONE SCAM - BEWARE From the FCC

The Federal Communications Commission has become aware of a long distance
phone scam that may lead consumers to inadvertently ring up high charges on
their phone bills.

The scam works something like this:

To minimize the risk of this happening to you:

Don't Fall for the 90# Telephone Scam

The old phone scam involving the 90# buttons on your business telephone is still around.

How This Kind of Scam Occurs

You receive a call at your office from someone claiming to be a telephone company employee investigating technical problems with your line, or checking up on calls supposedly placed to other states or countries from your line. The caller asks you to aid the investigation by either dialing 9-0-# or transferring him/her to an outside line before hanging up the telephone receiver. By doing this, you may be enabling the caller to place calls that are billed to your office telephone number.

What You Should Know

* Telephone company employees checking for technical and other types of telephone service or billing problems would not call and ask a subscriber to dial a specific series of numbers before hanging up the telephone receiver.

* Telephone company employees would not request subscribers to connect the caller to an outside line before hanging up the receiver.

* These types of calls are made to trick subscribers into taking actions that will enable the caller to place fraudulent calls.

* This scam only works if your telephone is served by a private branch exchange (PBX) or private automatic branch exchange (PABX).

What to Do

If your place of business utilizes either a PBX or a PABX, you or your company telecommunications manager should contact the manufacturer of the PBX or PABX and the telephone companies that provide you with local and long distance service to obtain information about the type of security systems available to protect your telephone system from toll fraud. You may also ask about any monitoring services that help detect unusual telephone system usage.

Avoid Becoming a Target

To avoid becoming a target of this scam, educate yourself and other employees about the 9-0-# scam. Encourage employees to take the following steps if they think that a telephone call is fraudulent or is part of this scam:

* Ask the caller for his/her name and telephone number;

* Tell the caller you are going to call the telephone company immediately to determine whether or not there is a problem with the line;

* Immediately hang up the receiver; do not dial any numbers or transfer the caller to an outside line before hanging up;

* Find the telephone number for your telephone service provider and/or its security office and report the suspicious phone call.  Be prepared to
  provide details of the call to the telephone company representative; and

* Contact your local law enforcement officials.

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