Phone scams and how to avoid them

There're quite a few phone scams out there that could cost you money. Being aware of these illegal practices will help you avoid becoming a victim.

• 809 area code scam
  Making unaware international calls is what the 809 scam is about.



• 9 - 0 - # scam
  Allowing people to make calls using your phone line.



• Careless dialing
  When using a popular collect call service make sure you dial carefully to avoid misspelling the number and, as a result paying more than expected for the call.



• Cell phone fraud
  Cellular fraud (cell fraud) is defined as the unauthorized use, tampering, or manipulation of a cellular phone or service.



• Cramming
  Phone bill cramming refers to unauthorized or misleading charges placed on your telephone bill.



• Internet modem switch scam
  Getting billed for international calls when using local (domestic) Internet service providers to access web sites.



• Mexico collect call scam
  This scam originates in Mexico and seems to be prevalent in Spanish-speaking communities in California, Texas, Florida, New York and Illinois. The scam is targeted at Spanish-surnamed consumers.



• Single bill fees on your phone bill
  If you are billed for both local and long distance service on one phone bill, you may soon be charged a fee by your long distance provider for this convenience.



• Slamming
  Slamming is the illegal practice of changing a consumer’s telephone service without permission. New consumer protection rules created by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) provide a remedy if you’ve been slammed.



• Telemarketing scam
  Claiming to be a telephone company employee a stranger will try to gather your personal info.
  
  
• Unwanted faxes
  Just because your fax number is published or distributed does not mean others have permission to send you unsolicited advertisements.