CONSUMER ALERT

MIKE COX
 ATTORNEY GENERAL

The Attorney General provides Consumer Alerts to inform the public of unfair, misleading or deceptive business practices, and to provide information and guidance on other issues of concern.

WARN YOUR KIDS: XXX PHONE CALLS
MAY LEAD TO $$$ BILLS

There is a new telephone scam sweeping through Michigan's middle schools and high schools that may cause both concern and huge bills for parents and teenagers. Toll-free numbers are being distributed to students for "adult entertainment" via the telephone. Numbers having the toll-free prefixes 800, 877, and 888 connect the caller to a breathy and seductive voice that promises a sexually explicit audio experience if a number is called having an "809" prefix.

The 809 prefix, however, results in an international call to the Dominican Republic, costing as much as $25.00 per minute. The person making the call may believe that the number is simply a domestic long distance call or that it is even "toll free." The reality is that the caller will receive a telephone bill showing hundreds or even thousands of dollars of international phone calls.

Telephone scammers use international area codes to avoid the legal protections which exist for "900" area code numbers. The telephone company cannot terminate or disconnect your telephone service if you contest a charge. And legal procedures exist for resolving billing disputes between the caller and the phone company.

But international calls are not subject to these protections. The telephone company may force collection under certain circumstances and can even terminate service for nonpayment. Therefore, the consumer must exercise caution, be vigilant and be certain they know where they're calling. Here are some other tips to minimize your risk of incurring unauthorized charges.

• Educate your teens and make sure they understand that calls to providers offering "adult entertainment" will not be tolerated.

• Inform your children that there can be an enormous difference in costs between domestic calls and international calls.

• Know the area code for the region and country where you're placing a call. If you want to find out the area code for any place in the United States, dial 1-555-1212 for Directory Assistance. Or access www.primeris.com/fonefind/

• Exercise extreme caution when calling any of the area codes for the Caribbean region: