[14985] in APO-L
Re: Pager Scam&other chain ltrs
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (EDK@LASPAU.MHS.HARVARD.EDU)
Thu Sep 19 23:13:41 1996
Date: Thu, 19 Sep 1996 19:17:19 -0500
Reply-To: EDK@LASPAU.MHS.HARVARD.EDU
From: EDK@LASPAU.MHS.HARVARD.EDU
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
In-Reply-To: <C0733698762C8CD1*@SMF>
Okay. Enough is enough. Someone posted a very eloquent rationale the
other day for why you should forward messages just because they feel like
they would be useful Public Service Announcements(PSAs). I'll put it
more simply
DON'T DO IT.
If it doesn't relate to APO activities, it doesn't belong on APO-L. If
you have something that you *really*, *really* think is an important PSA
and worth sending to the list even if it has nothing to do with APO, ask
me first. If it's really something that's accurate and of sufficient
import, I'll probably say go ahead.
>Now onto the pager scam message:
>
>BE ALERT TO PAGER SCAM
>
>There is a pager scam being executed which sends the number
>(809)404-5468.
>
>When returning the page, the caller receives a sales pitch and is
>automatically billed anywhere from $3.00 to $25.00 for the call.
>
>809 AREA CODE IS RESERVED FOR INFORMATION PROVIDERS, MUCH THE SAME
>AS A 900 NUMBER, AND SHOULD BE IGNORED IF RECEIVED ON A PAGER.
This type of scam has been reported in the news media around here,
whether it's really happening or is just another urban legand, I don't
know. The advice I've seen on this is don't return pages from numbers
you don't recognize.
Some of the 'facts' in this message are incorrect. As Marlon has already
mentioned, 809 is the area code for the Caribbean(Puerto Rico, Barbados,
Trinidad & Tobego, etc.). It is NOT similar to the 900 area code. If
the number cited is correct (I wasn't going to call to check), it's
possible that 404 is an exchange reserved for pay services in one of the
Caribbean countries.
Y.I.S.
Ellen c.c. Kranzer
APO-L Administrator
ekranzer@harvard.edu or ccrazy@world.std.com
U.S. Mail: Ellen Kranzer, 18 Riverdale Street, Allston, MA 02134
Phone: (w)617 495-0573, (h)617 254-0057
