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.

Billy, I smell a weird one here... AT&T posted this, except for them, the numbers terminate in the dominican republic:

Avoid Telephone Scams - 809 area code
By AT&T
Jan 27, 2003, 12:15pm

Email this article
Printer friendly page

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" 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 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.

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
Additional information can be obtained from this AT&T Web Site

Here we go, Snopes to the rescue again... this one IS a real scam - but not to the extent they mention:

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/809.htm

Alex

AT&T even says that email isn't from them... but they do admit there are issues with the 809 area code... but not to the extent of $2400 a minute.

http://www.att.com/fraud/home.html

Alex

Alex you can call my Billy Hotline, it's only 500 a minute to hear me talk, do you need the number ? Peaches is my best client !

where can i get phone sex #s with 809 code, i want $2425 per min :)


thanks billy !

Scary stuff there.

Man my kids could rack up a nice new car in a few minutes :)

That area code has been around a long, long time.

Back when they first started running phone sex scams in foreign countries, that area code began to be used. It's one of the most confusing ones, though, because SOME phone numbers from that area are legit, i.e., it's also the area code for Puerto Rico, or was in the 90's.

Of course, unless you know the person, you don't want to call it. I seriously doubt it's 2400 a minute, but it will be expensive.

Man there are so many scams out there.... $2,400 a minute would be crazy. There needs to be someway to protect people from scams like that.

If Spanno was here, he would probably want to nuke the British Virgin Islands.

Yeah, but I had no idea you could get a 4th mortgage on a house! :ph34r:

This is one of the oldest urban legends out there. Rates to international numbers are set by your LD carrier. If you have Sprint, then your rates are set by Sprint. If you have MCI, then they're set by MCI, etc. Remember back in Pay per call when 10XXX was so popular? That's why - audiotext was trying to get you to dial around your LD carrier because they were finding carriers that would charger higher rates.

But all rates have to be approved by the FCC and the FCC ain't gonna approve $2400 a minute :awinky: The rates ARE higher than a domestic call and back when 0 or 1 in the middle of an area code meant it was a domestic LD call, many people thought that an 809 number was a domestic LD call, pay per call folks would put ads, page people with it, put it in answering machines, faxes, etc. and unsuspecting folks would call it not realizing it was an LD number and the pay per call/audiotext folks, who then had a great relationship with Sprint/MCI/ATT, would charge $2-3 a minute for the call and rake in the $$$. And since the customer was being billed by their LD company through their local phone bill, non-payment of the bill was cause for phone disconnection. Ah, the old days of pay per call :agrin:

LOL

Hey Billy, can borrow your phone, I need to make a phone call :awinky:

I think that could conceivably be the third most expensive minute in your life.
The first being when you say "I do", and the second being when the doctor tells you whether it's a boy or a girl. :awinky: