HARRISBURG — Attorney General Tom Corbett urged Pennsylvania consumers to be alert for suspicious telephone or text messages that are link to an international long-distance telephone scam.
Corbett said the scam messages typically ask consumers to call what appears to be an ordinary long-distance telephone number in order to confirm a lottery or sweepstakes prize. Other variations of the scam ask consumers to call the number in order to get information about a relative who has been injured in an accident or is hospitalized.
“Unsuspecting consumers who return these messages are actually calling international long-distance numbers, mainly in the Caribbean, and can be charged hundreds of dollars per-minute for the calls,” Corbett said. “In most cases, the scam artists are trying to get consumers to divulge personal or financial information, but even callers who do not fall victim to that portion of the scam can still be hit with massive long-distance telephone bills.”
Corbett said the scam artists are taking advantage of the fact that some international phone numbers can look like ordinary U.S. area codes. These scams often originate from Jamaica (876), the Cayman Islands (345), the British Virgin Islands (284) and the Dominican Republic (809), though unsuspecting victims often believe they are calling telephone numbers in the United States.
“Consumers should be extremely suspicious about any unsolicited telephone or text message about lotteries, sweepstakes or other prizes, unless you can verify that they are coming from a legitimate source,” Corbett said. “Additionally, consumers should be cautious about any message that directs them to call an unfamiliar phone number.”
Corbett said consumers can ask directory assistance or an operator to check on the location for any unfamiliar telephone number, and also ask for information about the per-minute charges to call that number.
Corbett said that consumers should carefully review their monthly telephone bills and immediately contact their telephone company to dispute any unauthorized charges.
Consumers should also file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection if they have been victimized by a long-distance scam.
Corbett urged consumers with questions or problems to contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-441-2555 or file an online consumer complaint using the Attorney General’s Web site (Highlight the “Complaints” button on the front page of the website and select “Consumer Complaints” from the drop-down menu).