Are You Scamaphobic?

Ok you heard it here first. My new word of the day is Scamaphobic. Do you send news of every latest scam to everyone on your email list? I tend to get notified of so many of these scams. I read them, too, and then I usually check them out on snopes.com if they seem really scary.

Here is an example of one that I got today.
Have you heard of the 809 Area Code scam? This is from the FCC website in response to the 809 area code scam.

The Scam Works Something Like This

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You get an e-mail, voicemail, or page telling you to call a phone number with an "809", "284", "876" (or some other three-digit) area code to collect a prize, find out about a sick relative, engage in sex talk, etc.
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You assume you are making a domestic long distance call - as "809", "284", "876" (and other three-digit area codes involved in this scam) appear to be typical three-digit U.S. area codes.
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When you dial the "809", "284", "876" (or other three-digit) area code plus the number, however, you're actually connected to a phone number outside the United States, often in Canada or the Caribbean, and charged international call rates. (In this case, "809" goes to the Dominican Republic, "284" goes to the British Virgin Islands, and "876" goes to Jamaica.)
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You don't find out about the higher international call rates until you receive your phone bill.

Minimize the Risk of This Happening to You

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Check any area codes before returning calls.
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If you do not otherwise make international calls, ask your local phone company to block outgoing international calls on your line.

Filing a Complaint with the FCC

If you are billed for a call you made as a result of this scam, first try to resolve the matter with your telephone company. If you are unable to resolve it directly, you can file a complaint with the FCC. There is no charge for filing a complaint. You can file your complaint using an FCC on-line complaint form found at esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm. You can also file your complaint with the FCC's Consumer Center by e-mailing fccinfo@fcc.gov; calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice or 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY; faxing 1-866-418-0232; or writing to:

Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554.

That should help.

Please when in doubt of what to do about giving any personal information about yourself over the phone, or answering calls that seem confusing or impossible take steps to check things out before you do something you might regret.

Beware of The Jury Duty Scam!!!

Please never give your personal information out to anyone over the phone.
Ask for their name and phone number so you can call them back. Then call
who they say they are representing and verify what they they called you and
needed information.

Also it is always best to be safe then sorry. This Jury Duty Scam is not new.
Check it out by following the links below.

This has been verified by the FBI (their link is also included below). Please pass this on to everyone in your email address book. It is spreading fast so be prepared should you get this call. Most of us take those summonses for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty, that a new and ominous kind of fraud has surfaced.

The caller claims to be a jury coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out any of this information and bingo; your identity was just stolen.

The fraud has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma , Illinois , and Colorado . This (swindle) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they are with the court system. The FBI and the federal court system have issued na tionwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud.
Check it out here: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm

And here: http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/juryduty.asp

Yep! It ' s true

Please make sure and pass this on!