90# On Your Telephone Warning?
11/03/2009 06:05
So many readers have
sent me this dire warning that I think it is
time to put it to rest. Here is what I have
receive any number of times in the past week:
PASS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW
I received a telephone call last evening from an individual identifying himself as an AT&T Service Technician (could also be Telus) who was conducting a test on the telephone lines. He stated that to complete the test I should touch nine(9), zero(0), the pound sign (#), and then hang up. Luckily, I was suspicious and refused.
Upon contacting the telephone company, I was informed that by pushing 90#, you give the requesting individual full access to your telephone line, which enables them to place long distance calls billed to your home phone number.
I was further informed that this scam has been originating from many local jails/prisons DO NOT press 90# for ANYONE.
SINC SAYS:
Whenever you get one of these types of e-mails ALWAYS check it out by searching for it on snopes.com. While there is a portion of truth to the scam, it is not nearly a dire as the e-mails would have you believe.
This scam does have its origins in truth, but only if the caller dialed and got a switchboard operator. Anyone who has worked in a business environment of any kind will know that to dial an outside number from that business, you have to dial “9” first to get an outside line or dial tone. If you were to then dial “0”, #, you would get the long distance operator.
If a switchboard operator followed those instructions, he/she would in fact have just opened a long distance line to the scammer and the company would be liable for the long distance charges. A normal home phone line does not work this way and as far a snopes is concerned, there is very little chance the average person would suffer any harm or even receive such a call. Here is what snopes has to say about the item:
So, everyone take a deep breath and use your delete key to rid yourselves of this over used internet scare tactic. It ain’t gonna happen to you.
PASS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW
I received a telephone call last evening from an individual identifying himself as an AT&T Service Technician (could also be Telus) who was conducting a test on the telephone lines. He stated that to complete the test I should touch nine(9), zero(0), the pound sign (#), and then hang up. Luckily, I was suspicious and refused.
Upon contacting the telephone company, I was informed that by pushing 90#, you give the requesting individual full access to your telephone line, which enables them to place long distance calls billed to your home phone number.
I was further informed that this scam has been originating from many local jails/prisons DO NOT press 90# for ANYONE.
SINC SAYS:
Whenever you get one of these types of e-mails ALWAYS check it out by searching for it on snopes.com. While there is a portion of truth to the scam, it is not nearly a dire as the e-mails would have you believe.
This scam does have its origins in truth, but only if the caller dialed and got a switchboard operator. Anyone who has worked in a business environment of any kind will know that to dial an outside number from that business, you have to dial “9” first to get an outside line or dial tone. If you were to then dial “0”, #, you would get the long distance operator.
If a switchboard operator followed those instructions, he/she would in fact have just opened a long distance line to the scammer and the company would be liable for the long distance charges. A normal home phone line does not work this way and as far a snopes is concerned, there is very little chance the average person would suffer any harm or even receive such a call. Here is what snopes has to say about the item:
So, everyone take a deep breath and use your delete key to rid yourselves of this over used internet scare tactic. It ain’t gonna happen to you.