90# Telephone Scam

If you receive a call from a representative or technician of a phone company asking you to pres 9, 0 and # then hangs up to complete the maintenance check of your phone – be warned! By doing this you are enabling that person to make long distance or international calls that will be charged to your phone number.

Telephone companies calling to check about technical and other types of phone service or billing problems will NOT call and ask a subscriber to dial a specific series of numbers before hanging up the phone receiver. These types of calls are made to trick subscribers into taking actions that will enable the caller to place fraudulent calls.

For business lines this scam works if you are served by a private branch exchange (PBX) or private automatic branch exchange (PABX). By doing this, it enables the person to make long distance calls that are billed to your office phone number.

What You Need to Know:

Telephone company employees calling to check about technical and other types of phone service or billing problems will NOT call and ask a subscriber to dial a specific series of numbers before hanging up the phone receiver. These types of calls are made to trick subscribers into taking actions that will enable the caller to place fraudulent calls.
This scam only works if your phone is served by a private branch exchange (PBX) or private automatic branch exchange (PABX).

If your company utilizes either a PBX or a PABX, you or your company’s telecommunications manager should contact the manufacturer of the PBX or PABX and the phone companies that provide you with local or long distance service to obtain information about the type of security systems available to protect your phone system from toll fraud.

Avoiding this scam:
Get the name and telephone number.

Inform the caller that you will personally call the phone company to verify the maintenance check or any problems with the line.

Hang up and do not dial any numbers to transfer the caller to an outside line.
Call your phone company and report the suspicious phone call and provide the details of the call.

Once verified that there is no maintenance check from your phone company, call your local law enforcement officials to report the incident.

Here are our recommendations:
DialUno Cerca 1010
Register to get 10-10 code
DialUno
6.9¢ / min.8¢ to AK, HI
New .95 monthly Carrier Recovery Fee.
online contact form / 1.800.575.2640

DialAround 1010
Register to get 10-10 code.
Primus
5.5¢ / min.8¢ to AK, HI
6-second billing with 30 second minimum on state-to-state and instate calls.
Lower minimum billing of $5/month Plus New .95 monthly Carrier Recovery Fee
1-800-297-9533

PNG PowerDial
Register to use toll free access number.
PNG
5.7¢ / min.15.9¢ to AK, HI
Now has a 99¢ monthly feeFor
1-800-297-9527

Everdial Long Distance
4.9¢ state-to-state rate,
24hours 7 days a week.
30 second initial, 6 second increments.
NO MONTHLY MINIMUMS or FEES.
A 99¢ Carrier Recovery Fee
3% Federal tax.

PNG Long Distance
3.9¢ rate .
Now has a 99¢ monthly fee.
Awesome international rates
check website for rates to call mobile

PNG
also offers stand-alone toll free service,
local phone service,
high speed internet
and cellular plans
with very low international rates

Dialuno
"Primero" 1 plus plan 3.8¢ rate applies 24 hours/7 days a week for all state-to-state calls. billed in 6 second increments Great international rates, especially to Mexico and South American countries. Toll free numbers available at no extra charge and will bill incoming at same rates.

Primus Telecommunications, Inc does the billing and customer service, calls are carried on the MCI network and Alliance AT&T network.
$0.95 Carrier Recovery Fee is added in any month the service is used.

There is a minimal billing requirement of $5/month which means:If monthly usage totals less than $5, your bill will be adjusted to meet the $5 minimum.

ECG Long Distance
2.5¢ state-to-state rate if billed by E-bill only and credit card. Also billed in 6 second increments.

ECG also has toll free numbers available at no extra charge and incoming billing at same rates. $0.59 per month regulatory recovery fee applies to each taxable account, requires EasyPay and EasyBill. EasyBill is ECG's paperless billing option that lets customers receive their monthly ECG bill online.

EasyPay is ECG's paperless payment option that lets customers pay their monthly ECG bill electronically via credit/debit card or bank draft.

3.5¢ state-to-state rate if you wish a paper bill and/or pay by check or other method $0.59 per month regulatory recovery fee applies to each taxable account, plus paper bill processing fee of $2.50

ECG is available in approximately 80% of the country. When you request service, it will tell you if they don't serve your area.