Noah Schiffman at networkworld.com looks into statistics provided by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about complaints filed. According to the numbers the majority of complaints are filed against land line telecommunication providers. This fact makes Noah Schiffman look deeper into the problem, and he uncovers a common trend: people find charges they don't recognize on their phone bills.
This fraudulent activity takes many shapes. Here are the most common phone scams:
- "Area Code Phone Scams": Consumers usually receive a message requesting them to call a phone number with an 809, 284 or 876 area code concerning an important matter. The caller assumes the number is a typical three-digit U.S. area code; however, the caller is actually connected to a phone number outside the United States, and charged international call rates.
- "900 Number Switching Scams": We all feel safe calling "toll free" 1-800 or 888 numbers, while knowing stay away from 1-900 numbers. However, there exists an illegal scam that merges the two. An advertisement will claim an incredible offer. After placing the 1-800 call, an automated greeting asks that they press #9 to verify their number. By pressing #9 (in some reported cases, #90), that call has just been transferred to a 900 number and through a long series of questions, the caller is kept on the line for as long as possible.
The author also explains "Credit Card Scams", "*72 Phone Scam", and "Slamming & Cramming". Read more at http://www.networkworld.com
