809 Area Code Fraud

Some scam artists are using the 809 area code to trick consumers into running up high charges on their phone bills. Be alert when responding to e-mails, phone calls, numeric pages or voice mail messages that tell you to call a phone number with an 809 area code to collect a prize, find out about a sick relative, etc.

If you dial the 809 area code from within the United States, you'll be connected to a phone number outside of the United States. Most victims don't find out about the higher international call rates until they receive a large phone bill.

The 809 area code (a legitimate area code in the Caribbean) can also be used as a toll number, equivalent to 900 numbers in the United States. Scam artists take advantage of the fact that the public may not know the 809 area code is a "pay-per-call" number.

Minimize Your Risk

To minimize the risk of 809 Area Code Fraud:

Be wary of messages or pages to the 809 area code.
If suspicious of area codes you do not recognize, check the telephone directory or call the operator to determine the location of the area code before making your call.
Get Help

If you've been scammed, first contact the carrier with whom the charge originated, whose name and toll-free telephone number should be printed on the same bill page as the charge in question. Often, the problem can be resolved with a single phone call.
If the carrier with whom the charge originated does not agree to resolve the problem, contact AT&T www.sbc.com/contact_us. AT&T will work with the customer and the carrier to help get fraudulent charges removed from the phone bill.
To file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission about this and/or related phone scams, visit:
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/809.html.