Toll Fraud - It could happen to
you
A California man received a call from a friendly person who said he was
a representative of a long distance company. The caller said he wanted to
verify the customer's calling card number, because "It looks like someone
might be using it to make long distance phone calls without your
permission."
Because the customer wanted to be helpful, he gave his calling card
number to the caller. Imagine his shock when his next phone bill was for
$30,000--and included hundreds of calls to cities all over the world!
A Texas woman was so eager to move to her new home that she forgot to
tell the phone company to disconnect the phone service at her old address. A
month after she moved she received a bill for $500 for local and long distance
calls made from her old house--after she had moved away!
These are just two sad stories about the problems people can have if
they are not careful about their telephone service. It is estimated that every
year calling card fraud and other crimes involving the illegal use of phone
services cost consumers and phone companies over $1 billion.
People who are the victims of such fraud do not have to pay for calls
they didn't make, as long as they report the problem to their phone companies
as soon as possible. However, each of us pays for the fraudulent misuse of the
phone system. We pay through higher prices for phone services to make up for
money lost to criminals.
The good news is that you can reduce this kind of fraud by taking a few
simple precautions. This brochure highlights some common types of frauds, and
explains what you can do to avoid them.
A "moving
experience"
You are moving to a new home. With all the activity you forget to notify
your phone companies of the move...
Action
to take:
A phone bill sent to a vacant home is an open invitation to crooks to
attempt to steal the phone calling card number. In addition, if your phone
service is still connected, anyone who breaks into your old residence--or who
moves into the place--can plug in a phone and make calls that are charged to
your account. Since the bill is in your name, the phone company will ask you to
pay it.
Always call your local and long distance companies before you move. That
way your service can be stopped the day you leave, your final bill can be sent
to your new address, and service can be re-established at your new location the
day you need it.
Card verification
Your phone rings and a nice-sounding man says he is with the phone
company or a government agency. He says there have been many calls made on your
calling card, and he wants to verify your card number...
Action
to take:
A telephone calling card is like a credit card, because it allows you to
make phone calls without using coins. Never give your calling card number over
the phone to anyone calling you, no matter who they claim to be. A phone
company would never ask you to verify your calling card number--it already
knows what it is!
You also have to be very careful whenever you use the card in a public
place, like an airport or the lobby of a building. Cover up your card so that
others cannot see it. If you must read it aloud, make sure others cannot
overhear you. If the phone has a digital display of your number, cover it.
Any time you think that someone you don't know has your calling card
number--regardless of how they obtained it--call your phone company right away.
The phone company can quickly cancel the card and give you a new one almost
immediately.
Long distance calls
Your phone rings and an operator says she has "Bob" on the
line and he would like to charge a long distance call to your phone number.
Your husband's name is Bob...
Action
to take:
Are you sure it's your husband calling? You can ask the operator to let
you hear the person's voice. Frequently, a con artist (swindler) looks in the
phone book for listings of couples, like "Jane and Bob Smith," that
he can use in placing calls without paying for them.
He will ask the operator to place a long distance call and bill it to
the Smiths' phone number. He will pretend to be Bob and hope that Bob's wife
Jane will answer the phone when the operator calls to make sure the charge will
be accepted.
When you make a call from one phone and charge it to another phone, that
is known as "third party billing." The operator should confirm that
the person making the call has the right to charge it to the other phone
number.
If an operator calls you and asks if a call can be billed to your
account, always make sure you know the identity of the person making the call.
Tips
To stop telephone fraud, remember these tips:
·
Do not give your calling card number
to any stranger who calls you, and guard that number carefully when using it to
make calls in public places.
·
Call your phone company immediately
if you think that someone has obtained your calling card number.
·
Before you move, tell your local
phone company to disconnect your phone service and tell your long distance
carrier where to forward its bill.
·
Don't allow anyone to charge calls to
your phone without first checking their identity.
·
Never give out any personal
information about yourself to strangers who call you.
·
Review your local and long distance
bills as soon as you receive them, and contact these phone companies
immediately if there are charges on the bills that you don't understand.
·
Consumers are not required to pay for
unauthorized charges on their phone bill. Follow the procedure explained on
your bill for notifying your long distance company about any disputed charge.
National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators
