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Featured Alert

AT&T Prepaid Calling Cards

October 2006

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is alerting telephone customers that calls to cellular telephones in Mexico will likely be more costly beginning as early as Nov. 4. The Mexican government has permitted telephone companies in its country to charge more for connecting calls from other countries to wireless phones in Mexico. As a result, the higher fee will probably be passed on to consumers by their long-distance company. Customers are already billed long-distance usage rates by their long-distance provider for calls to Mexico, and will now see an additional per-minute rate applied to each call completed to a wireless telephone. This additional rate will likely be at least 14 cents per minute.

In addition, consumers in the United States calling wireless telephone numbers in Mexico will be required to dial a "1" before the current ten-digit number. For more information on this issue, click here for the FCC's consumer advisory.

December 2005

Consumers using cellular service should be aware that a list of calls recently dialed from their phone may be obtained through several website-based businesses. Reports indicate that a fee of approximately $100 may provide someone with a listing of outgoing calls from any cell phone. Some websites also offer to provide other personal information, including the non-published home telephone number based on an address provided by an individual.

While these services are apparently legal, consumers should be especially aware of their privacy and understand the potential for scams, including identity theft, to occur. Consumers also can report any concerns or complaints to their cellular company or enforcement agencies such as the Ohio Attorney General's Office and the Federal Communications Commission.

August 2005

Telephone customers should know their rights if they receive charges for 900 or 976 "pay per use" calls they do not recognize. Billing disputes involving these charges need to be made to the local telephone company within 60 days from the time the bill is issued. During an investigation, customers do not have to pay for these charges. Basic local and long-distance telephone service cannot be disconnected based on any past due 900 or 976 charges.

In addition, if customers wish to block anyone in their home from making 900 or 976 calls, they should inquire about services provided by their local telephone company. Typically this type of blocking service is free to customers who request it when they establish their telephone line. A one-time activation fee is sometimes required for those with existing telephone service.

February 2006

The National Consumers League reports that telemarketing scams occurred more often and drained more money from customers' wallets in 2005 than in 2004. A study by the organization found that the number of incidents increased 39 percent and the average loss by consumers rose to $2,892 from $1,974. The most commonly reported scam involved prizes and sweepstakes, where a consumer was asked for payment to claim a prize that was never delivered. For more information on the report, visit www.nclnet.org.

For tips to help protect you from telemarketing scams, click here.

February 2006

Some customers have received warnings that if they do not add their cellular phone number to the national Do-Not-Call list, it will be sold to telemarketers or placed in a national wireless directory. These warnings are not accurate. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and other sources, consumers should know that:

It is illegal for most telemarketers to place calls to your cellular phone.

Since most telemarketing calls to a cellular phone are illegal, adding a cellular phone number to the national Do-Not-Call list should be unnecessary. However, consumers may add their personal cellular phone numbers to this list. For more information on the Do-Not-Call list, click here.

A proposal has been made that would allow cellular phone customers the ability to be listed in the existing nationwide 4-1-1 system. The proposal would need to be approved by the FCC before going into effect. Cellular phone numbers would not be listed without customers' permission and they could remove their numbers at any time without cost. No printed or electronic directory would exist. For more information on the proposal click here.

February 2006

According to the Federal Trade Commission, the largest percentage of Ohio's identity theft complaints in 2005 was the result of telephone or utilities fraud. Twenty-eight percent of identity thefts involved telephone or utilities fraud for a total of 1,993 complaints statewide.

Nationwide, telephone or utilities fraud was second only to credit card fraud as the most common type of reported identity theft. In addition, approximately 17 percent of companies committing fraud and identity theft used the telephone as the initial method to contact consumers.

One example of telephone fraud is the opening of an unauthorized account using stolen personal information. The opening of an account with a local telephone company can help a thief gain documentation that may be needed to open a bank or credit card account.

March 2006

The Plain Dealer reports that some consumers have seen unauthorized charges by a company called Value Link Plus on their monthly local telephone bills. A charge of $6.58 apparently relates to dial-up Internet service that was never ordered, but has appeared on some AT&T (formerly SBC) bills. Local telephone companies such as AT&T may choose to include charges from third parties on their bills. The newspaper reported that while the charge has primarily affected bills received by small or home-based businesses, several residential customers also have been hit with charges. For more information on how to avoid charges from being "crammed" on your telephone bill, click here.

Featured Scam

Sweepstakes letter scam

June 2007

The American Red Cross has reported a scam targeting military families. The caller poses as a Red Cross representative and tells the spouse of a soldier that the husband or wife has been injured in Iraq and med-evacuated to a hospital in Germany. The caller gains personal information by telling the spouse that treatment cannot be started until paperwork is completed, including verification of the soldier’s social security number and date of birth.

The American Red Cross states that its representatives will only contact military members or dependents based on a response to an emergency message left by the family. The organization urges consumers not to give out personal information over the telephone if contacted by unknown individuals.

For more information about this scam click here.

August 2006

Reports in Ohio and other states indicate that consumers are receiving misleading telemarketing calls regarding long-distance telephone service. The caller claims to be from the local telephone company and promises a senior citizen discount. In reality, the calls are not from the local telephone company and seek to switch the consumer to another long-distance provider at rates that are actually higher than the consumer is currently paying. Consumers who receive a call promising a long-distance discount should be sure to ask questions and to watch their future telephone bills for any unauthorized changes. For more information about slamming, which is the unauthorized switching of a customer's long-distance provider, click here.

What is it? Callers dial telephone numbers beginning with area codes 809, 284, 876 (or another three-digit area code) and inadvertently and unknowingly make high-cost international calls.

How it happens? Callers receive an email, voicemail or page encouraging them to call a number to hear about a prize or an important message. The three-digit area code used to dial the number actually dials outside of the country. Callers are unaware that they made an international call until they receive their telephone bill.

How to avoid the scam? Check unfamiliar area codes before returning calls.

What is it? Call splashing occurs when a consumer uses a public telephone (i.e. payphone, hotel, airport telephone) and makes a long-distance call that is routed to a distant call center before being passed to the consumer's preferred long-distance carrier. The hand off may cause the consumer to be charged a higher long-distance rate for the call.

How does it happen? When the call is "handed off" from the call center to the long-distance carrier, the long distance company charges the customer for a more expensive call originating from the call center, not the customer's location.

How to avoid "call splashing?" Consumer may avoid being "splashed" by refusing a call transfer when the customer does not understand all of the details. After using a public telephone for long-distance calls, always verify the origination and destination locations when the telephone bill is received. If either the calling point is incorrect and/or the billing rate is higher, call the long-distance company to express your concerns and request the correct billing rate. Consumers also can call the Ohio Consumers' Counsel at 1-877-PICKOCC (877-742-5622).

November 2005

Scams involving "Caller ID spoofing" have been reported in Ohio. Caller ID spoofing occurs when a scammer changes the telephone number that appears on a consumer's Caller ID display. The changing of the telephone number can be performed by using one of several services that allow a caller to mask their true Caller ID information. When a caller's identity is spoofed, the consumer may be inclined to answer the telephone call since it may appear to be from someone they know or a local telephone number. Similar to other scams, once the caller has a consumer on the line, he or she may try to obtain personal information such as a social security number by claiming to be the police or a government agency.

To help prevent falling victim to this scam, consumers should:

• Be cautious of calls they do not recognize.
• Not be in a rush to disclose personal information. Ask the caller for a callback number and verify that he or she is legitimate.
• Ask that a request for personal information be put in writing.

If consumers believe they have fallen victim to a Caller ID spoofing scam or that their telephone number is being spoofed, they should call the local law enforcement, the telephone company and the Ohio Attorney General's Office.

November 2007

What is it? A caller persuades a consumer to push *72, a code often used to activate Call Forwarding, followed by dialing a telephone number, sometimes leading to a long-distance operator. Once Call Forwarding is activated, all of the consumer’s calls are transferred to that telephone number. The scam can be used to stick the victim with charges for such services as collect or third-party calls.

How it happens? A caller may pose as, for example, a law enforcement agency to convince the victim to push *72 and the telephone number. Many consumers are not familiar with the *72 function and how it can cause their telephone number to be misused through this type of scam.

How to avoid it? Consumers receiving calls asking them to dial a telephone code such as *72 should beware. There are no legitimate reasons an unknown caller would need a consumer to use this function.

What is it? Consumers believe they are enrolling or confirming their enrollment on a state Do-Not-Call registry. Private information given to the caller by the consumers is later used for fraudulent activity.

How it happens? Consumers receive a call to enroll or verify their enrollment on the state Do-Not-Call registry. To confirm his or her identity, the consumer agrees to give the caller information such as a Social Security number, bankcard or account numbers. The information is later used for making unauthorized purchases, stealing identity and money, etc.

How to avoid it? Don't be tricked into believing that Ohio has a state Do-Not-Call registry. Ohio uses the national registry to track residents who do not want to be called. Keep in mind that the officials from the federal Do-Not-Call registry will not call consumers to enroll or confirm enrollment on the list.

Miami Valley residents should be advised about a foreign lottery scam. Residents have received mail, telephone solicitations and e-mails seeking their participation in this "get rich quick" scheme.

How it works? The consumer is contacted via mail, telephone or e-mail by a company claiming to be a foreign lottery. The company sends the consumer a check and instructs the person to cash it. The consumer also is asked to send a portion of the money back to the company using Western Union. Once cashed, the check bounces and the consumer is left responsible for paying any penalties assessed by the bank.

How to avoid the scam? Consumers should be aware that participation in foreign lotteries is illegal. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) recommends ignoring all mail, telephone calls and e-mails promoting the foreign lottery. If you receive information requesting your participation in the scam, contact your local BBB office. If the notification came through the mail, give the complete mail piece to the nearest postal inspector.

What is it? A company called Consumer Grants USA calls older adults on the telephone to offer them a government grant for a fee of $239. The grants are said to range from $8,000 to $25,000. Callers are told they qualify for the grant because they are seniors. The company also requests the consumer's bank account information in order to deduct the fee. Although the fee is withdrawn, the victim never receives the grant.

In the past, the Florida-based company has operated under the names Ultimate Funding, Government Grant USA and the Federal Government Information Center.

How to avoid it? According to the Better Business Bureau, no company can guarantee an individual that it can secure a grant. Whenever providing personal and/or bank information over the telephone to an unknown telemarketing company, request the information in writing and verify the company with the Better Business Bureau at www.bbbonline.org.

What is it? The local telephone company places an unauthorized freeze on an account, which prevents a customer from switching to another local or toll telephone provider.

How does it happen? Jamming occurs when the local telephone company places a freeze on an account without the customer’s consent or knowledge. However, a customer can add a freeze to an account to prevent being switched to a new carrier without the customer’s consent.

How to avoid being “jammed”?
The Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel encourages customers to regularly call their local telephone company to find out if a freeze has been added to their account. Customers who determine that they have an unauthorized freeze on their accounts should request that it be removed.

September 2005

Several states including Ohio report a new identity theft scam that involves calls about jury duty. In this scam, a caller pretends to be a court employee, places a call stating that the consumer had failed to show up for jury duty and notes that an arrest warrant has been issued. When the consumer says he or she never received a jury duty notice, the scammer asks for personal information to check the records.

What is it? Consumers accept charges for a collect call from someone claiming to be a relative living in Mexico. The call turns out to be from a stranger.

How it happens? Consumers, usually with Spanish surnames, receive a collect call from an operator with an important message from a family member in Mexico. The call appears real because an actual family member's name is used. The consumer accepts the call only to be connected with a complete stranger. After realizing the trick, the consumer hangs up and is billed for the call.

Some consumers have reported been charged for the collect call even after declining the call.

How to avoid it? Most collect calls are automated and the caller identifies himself. Do not accept a collect call if the caller's voice is not familiar. However, if a live operator is assisting the call, ask the operator to have the person placing the collect call to speak his name. Accept the call only if the voice is recognized. In addition, consumers can request a block on all incoming collect calls.

November 2005

Instances of an old voice mail scam have resurfaced in some areas of the country. The scam involves hackers using a consumer's voice mail to make collect calls. To tap into the voice mail, the hackers try to correctly guess the consumer's password by trying obvious combinations (for example, 1-2-3-4) or a default password that may be used if the consumer has not made up his or her own. If the hackers can tap into a voice mailbox, they change the outgoing greeting to indicate that charges for collect and third-party calls will be accepted. Then, the hacker places calls to the number in order to make international long-distance calls. To help protect against this scam, consumers should make up a unique password and change it occasionally. They should also check their outgoing message and telephone bill on a regular basis.

May 2006

A report by a security firm indicates that some consumers have been recipients of a new version of an e-mail scam where the sender poses as a representative of a bank. In the e-mail, the recipient is asked to dial a telephone number, which leads to an automated voice system requesting an account number and personal identification number (PIN). Using an Internet-based telephone service (called Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP), the scammer is able to mimic the voice system of the bank.

This scam is an updated version of an old telephone scam where a caller poses as a representative of the customer's bank to obtain personal information. Online, this type of scam is know as "phishing," which occurs when a scammer recreates a company's logo to lure consumers into providing personal information through a bogus e-mail address and website.

For tips to avoid phishing scams, click here for information from the Federal Trade Commission.

June 2005

According to the Telecommunications Research & Action Center (TRAC), a nonprofit advocacy group, an old scam involving residential consumers' personal toll-free numbers may be reappearing. Scammers set up a fake payphone company, connect numerous payphones to an automatic dialer and randomly dial 1-800 numbers. Every time a residential consumer's personal toll-free number is reached, the scammers receive money. The money is based on a charge that most long-distance companies impose on residential 1-800 numbers if they receive calls from a payphone. Consumers with personal toll-free numbers should watch their bills carefully for one-minute charges from Denver, Colorado.

What is it? A scammer uses a telephone relay system designed for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community to make international calls and order products using stolen credit cards. Relay systems include TTY (telephone typewriter) and newer Internet-based services set up by telephone companies.

How it happens? The relay system uses operators as intermediaries that transmit messages for the deaf when they call those who are able to hear. Scammers abuse the relay system by pretending they are deaf to make anonymous, free international calls to unsuspecting businesses. The scammers use stolen credit cards to make large purchases to be sent overseas.

How to avoid it? Consumers receiving calls through a relay system should be aware of the scam. However, the deaf community actively uses the relay systems so many calls are legitimate. According to a news article, small businesses are often targets. AT&T recommends that businesses look out for callers trying to buy products using several credit cards. The company also suggests asking for U.S. contact information for all orders.

What is it? Consumers lose money by acting on a “hot” stock tip left on their answering machine.

How it happens? A message is left on your answering service for a Sue from Jane. The message includes a “hot” tip for a specific stock that is about to explode. But you are not Sue and you don’t know a Jane. A scam artist intentionally has left the message hoping that you (and other unsuspecting victims) will take the advice and purchase the stock. When the stock’s value increases, the scammer sells his share s for a profit. The person who has been scammed ends up losing money.

How to avoid it? Never rely on a stock tip received from someone you don’t know. Do the research yourself. If you receive a ‘pump and dump” message, report it to the Security and Exchange Commission at 1-800-732-0330 or enforcement@sec.gov.