Does this look familiar??? another moron Russian scam?

softball · 03-31-2009

http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/200...hone-scam.html

'Missed call' scam could put erotic chat charges on your phone bill

Ring, ring, (silence): a new twist on an old pay-per-call game

Last Updated: Monday, March 30, 2009 | 12:44 PM ET Comments40 Recommend82

CBC News

Ring, ring. (Silence.) Oops, you missed that call. Maybe you should call back and see if it was important.
Do not fall for this scam, especially if the number is in the 649 area, a U.S. group warns.
If you do, your next phone bill could include a charge for the services of an erotic chat line in the Turks and Caicos, a British outpost in the Caribbean whose area code is 649.

It may seem you just didn't answer in time, but that "missed" call could be a deceptive come-on. (Canadian Press) The warning is from MyWireless.org, a Washington-based advocacy group with ties to the U.S. telecommunications industry.
"Wireless companies have detected a pattern of calls that ring their customers' number once or twice and then disconnect," the group says in a statement.
"When the number appears on the customer's cellphone as a missed call, it appears to be a typical domestic three-digit phone number starting with the 649 area code."
Customers who return such calls may find themselves connected to an adult entertainment service, it says, "and end up being billed for expensive international call and chat line charges."
The scam is a twist on a well-established tactic of leaving e-mail or answering-machine messages urging people to call what turns out to be an offshore number to collect a prize, the group says.
"MyWireless.org urges wireless consumers to always check an area code first before returning a call to an unknown caller. Be skeptical about area codes you don't recognize, especially: 649 (Turks and Caicos); 809 (Dominican Republic); 284 (British Virgin Islands); 876 (Jamaica); 758 (St. Lucia); or 664 (Montserrat)."

'If you return the call, you may be unwittingly putting money into the pockets of scam artists.'—U.S. Federal Trade Commission

In a fact sheet on phone scams, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission notes that calls to certain offshore locales, many of them in the Caribbean, do not require the international prefix 011, so it may not be obvious you are calling a foreign number.
"In many cases, the return-call number is an international pay-per-call line, with a three-digit exchange that looks like an American or Canadian area code," the federal agency says.
"The message may falsely claim that a family member has been injured, that you’ve won a prize, or that there’s a problem with your credit. If you return the call, you may be unwittingly putting money into the pockets of scam artists."
Rules requiring clear disclosure of the cost of the call do not apply to international pay-per-call services, it says.

DannyCox · 03-31-2009

It's probably just another Canadian phone scam. After all, we are the world leaders in that!

I live in a pretty affluent neighbourhood and in the last 7 or 8 years, we've had 5 nearby guys (all within half a mile from our home) go down for Phone Fraud, and all for separate instances. One guy even had his main operation set up in the Turks a couple of years ago.

We're Number 1, We're Number 1

03-31-2009	#1
softball Members Want to see your own Advertising Here! Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 6,165	Does this look familiar??? another moron Russian scam? http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/200...hone-scam.html 'Missed call' scam could put erotic chat charges on your phone bill Ring, ring, (silence): a new twist on an old pay-per-call game Last Updated: Monday, March 30, 2009 \| 12:44 PM ET Comments40 Recommend82 CBC News Ring, ring. (Silence.) Oops, you missed that call. Maybe you should call back and see if it was important. Do not fall for this scam, especially if the number is in the 649 area, a U.S. group warns. If you do, your next phone bill could include a charge for the services of an erotic chat line in the Turks and Caicos, a British outpost in the Caribbean whose area code is 649. It may seem you just didn't answer in time, but that "missed" call could be a deceptive come-on. (Canadian Press) The warning is from MyWireless.org, a Washington-based advocacy group with ties to the U.S. telecommunications industry. "Wireless companies have detected a pattern of calls that ring their customers' number once or twice and then disconnect," the group says in a statement. "When the number appears on the customer's cellphone as a missed call, it appears to be a typical domestic three-digit phone number starting with the 649 area code." Customers who return such calls may find themselves connected to an adult entertainment service, it says, "and end up being billed for expensive international call and chat line charges." The scam is a twist on a well-established tactic of leaving e-mail or answering-machine messages urging people to call what turns out to be an offshore number to collect a prize, the group says. "MyWireless.org urges wireless consumers to always check an area code first before returning a call to an unknown caller. Be skeptical about area codes you don't recognize, especially: 649 (Turks and Caicos); 809 (Dominican Republic); 284 (British Virgin Islands); 876 (Jamaica); 758 (St. Lucia); or 664 (Montserrat)." 'If you return the call, you may be unwittingly putting money into the pockets of scam artists.'—U.S. Federal Trade Commission In a fact sheet on phone scams, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission notes that calls to certain offshore locales, many of them in the Caribbean, do not require the international prefix 011, so it may not be obvious you are calling a foreign number. "In many cases, the return-call number is an international pay-per-call line, with a three-digit exchange that looks like an American or Canadian area code," the federal agency says. "The message may falsely claim that a family member has been injured, that you’ve won a prize, or that there’s a problem with your credit. If you return the call, you may be unwittingly putting money into the pockets of scam artists." Rules requiring clear disclosure of the cost of the call do not apply to international pay-per-call services, it says.

03-31-2009	#2
DannyCox I like cheese Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Montreal, QC, CA Posts: 1,185	Re: Does this look familiar??? another moron Russian scam? It's probably just another Canadian phone scam. After all, we are the world leaders in that! I live in a pretty affluent neighbourhood and in the last 7 or 8 years, we've had 5 nearby guys (all within half a mile from our home) go down for Phone Fraud, and all for separate instances. One guy even had his main operation set up in the Turks a couple of years ago. We're Number 1, We're Number 1 __________________ iAmateurs Network Amateur Niche Affiliate Programs