Time to remind Amitel customers about a classic scam to be aware of.
Beware of voicemail messages or texts from numbers that you do not know, especially from area codes like 809, 284, 649 or 876.
They get you to call by telling you that it is information about a family member who has been ill or to tell you someone has been arrested, died, or to let you know you have won a wonderful prize, etc.. You assume the number is in Canada or the U.S. because of the typical three digit area code; however you are actually connected to a phone number in the Caribbean (i.e. 809 is the Dominican Republic). When you return the call you’ll also get a long recorded message. The point is, they will try to keep you on the phone as long as possible to increase the charges.
Amitel recommends the following tips to help avoid the scam:
* Return calls to familiar numbers only
* Check unknown area codes or country codes. Amitel will be adding a searchable list of area codes and country codes to our website soon to assist you at www.amitel.com
* Always carefully read your phone bill
For further information and for a history of this scam you can check out Snopes at
http://www.snopes.com/fraud/telephone/809.asp
