IS it too good to be TRUE??? Please read

[greatam]

http://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-01-2012/cruise-ship-scam-alert.html

 

Most of us are aware of the time share presentaion. And some ask about the "free" cruise they "won" and wonder if it is legit.

 

But I was simply flabbergasted about the phone bill scam. Our company phone bill runs about $5000 per month. And we make a lot of international calls-some to the very area codes posted in this article. While one of my admins keeps a pretty good watch on the phone bill, I bet there are a lot out there who would not think much about calling an 876 phone number. 877 is a commonly used prefix for toll free calls since 800 numbers are all taken. Please be careful.

[PennyAgain]

Thanks greatam for the warning. Even our company was surprised by a huge phone bill after a scam. After much work we got the bill reduced but it wasn't easy.

[beachbum53]

Wasn't it P.T. Barnum that said "There's a sucker born every minute."? Unfortunately, there a lot of people in this world that are easily fooled. Whenever you get a notice in the mail, an e-mail, or a phone call that says "You could win...", "You may have already won...", or "You are eligible to receive a free..." whatever, be highly suspicious and listen to the warning bell ringing in your head. To paraphrase a familiar saying, "If it looks like a scam or smells like a scam, it must be a scam." And by the way, thanks for posting the article.

[njhorseman]

There is far too much emphasis on the area codes themselves in this AARP article. In fact they are legitimate area codes...for example 441 is the area code for Bermuda, 876 is Jamaica, 809 the Dominican Republic. Just because some scams might originate from these area codes doesn't mean that all calls to or from them involve fraudulent activity.

[lady_cruiser]

There is far too much emphasis on the area codes themselves in this AARP article. In fact they are legitimate area codes...for example 441 is the area code for Bermuda, 876 is Jamaica, 809 the Dominican Republic. Just because some scams might originate from these area codes doesn't mean that all calls to or from them involve fraudulent activity.

Thank you for also bringing this to our attention.

[greatam]

There is far too much emphasis on the area codes themselves in this AARP article. In fact they are legitimate area codes...for example 441 is the area code for Bermuda, 876 is Jamaica, 809 the Dominican Republic. Just because some scams might originate from these area codes doesn't mean that all calls to or from them involve fraudulent activity.

 

You hit the nail on the head. These ARE legitimate area codes. But a BIG difference between a normal international phone call (about $.20-90 per minute depending on your plan and phone company) and someone who is using a "work around" phone line which could be $4-5 per minute to the caller. As I said, I was flabbergasted at the ease this scam could be perpetrated and I spend A LOT of time trying to keep the company phone bill under control.

 

Not a lot different than someone calling a 900 number which can result in ASTRONOMICAL phone bills.

 

I can visualize quite a few of my FIL's friends and even some of my deceased Mother's friends thinking they are getting a free or low fee cruise just by calling some phone number. Call them unsophisticated but there are a LOT of seniors who would fall for the phone scam, NEVER check the phone number and wrack up a phone bill they can't pay or would really stretch their budget. Scammers wouldn't be making billions off senior citizens and wiping out their retirement savings if it wasn't so easy.

 

My information was only meant to inform. Sorry if you thought I was denigrating someone's legitimate phone calls.

 

Here's a story from a financially saavy guy who still got taken by a lot of 876 phone calls.

 

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20120726/NEWS03/707279948

 

Maybe we are not always as smart as we think we are. If I can't see it, touch it or have title to it, I generally don't buy. Many others, including a couple of my own friends, want to believe in the goodness of people and could be sucked in for at least a few hundred. I am a cynic working in a VERY shady business.

 

But even I have sent money for those "only on TV" things and gotten beat initially. $148.82 for two pairs (buy one, get one free) of those feet washer things I bought for my FIL when he had knee replacement surgery and could not bend over to wash his feet. The product cost $29.99 (for TWO pairs). The SHIPPING cost was $78.00. The HANDLING fee was $40.83 for two pairs. Yes, I got my money back. BUT only after I filed a complaint with the Attorney General's office in the State of Iowa AND the State of Arizona. At $25.00 per hour wages, I should have let it go. I LOST money. Enough said.

[njhorseman]

You hit the nail on the head. These ARE legitimate area codes. But a BIG difference between a normal international phone call (about $.20-90 per minute depending on your plan and phone company) and someone who is using a "work around" phone line which could be $4-5 per minute to the caller. As I said, I was flabbergasted at the ease this scam could be perpetrated and I spend A LOT of time trying to keep the company phone bill under control.

 

Not a lot different than someone calling a 900 number which can result in ASTRONOMICAL phone bills.

 

I can visualize quite a few of my FIL's friends and even some of my deceased Mother's friends thinking they are getting a free or low fee cruise just by calling some phone number. Call them unsophisticated but there are a LOT of seniors who would fall for the phone scam, NEVER check the phone number and wrack up a phone bill they can't pay or would really stretch their budget. Scammers wouldn't be making billions off senior citizens and wiping out their retirement savings if it wasn't so easy.

 

My information was only meant to inform. Sorry if you thought I was denigrating someone's legitimate phone calls.

 

Here's a story from a financially saavy guy who still got taken by a lot of 876 phone calls.

 

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20120726/NEWS03/707279948

 

Maybe we are not always as smart as we think we are. If I can't see it, touch it or have title to it, I generally don't buy. Many others, including a couple of my own friends, want to believe in the goodness of people and could be sucked in for at least a few hundred. I am a cynic working in a VERY shady business.

 

But even I have sent money for those "only on TV" things and gotten beat initially. $148.82 for two pairs (buy one, get one free) of those feet washer things I bought for my FIL when he had knee replacement surgery and could not bend over to wash his feet. The product cost $29.99 (for TWO pairs). The SHIPPING cost was $78.00. The HANDLING fee was $40.83 for two pairs. Yes, I got my money back. BUT only after I filed a complaint with the Attorney General's office in the State of Iowa AND the State of Arizona. At $25.00 per hour wages, I should have let it go. I LOST money. Enough said.

 

I wasn't being critical of you for posting this, I was being critical of the AARP article.