TIP OF THE MONTH

1-900 Scams

Over the last several years, people have become familiar with 1-900 numbers for various services: psychic readings, celebrity chat, and love connections. They fell out of favor for a short time but have recently returned. A new breed of scam has resulted from this recent resurgence.

 In this new scam, the consumer receives notification, usually through the mail, to call a 900 number in order to find out how much money he or she has won. The piece of mail usually implies that the citizen has won a large prize such as a car, boat, or money. A brief phone call, the letter states, is all that is needed to confirm which item will be awarded.

 All 900 numbers are pay-per-call services. This means that you are billed as soon as you place the call, sometimes for as much as $4.99 per minute. Fees are set by the company owners and not the government. Quite often there will be a real prize awarded, but it is worth only a few dollars, while the telephone call may have cost $50 or more! One Amherst resident reported being on the telephone for almost 30 minutes before hanging up.

 The best protection is to avoid these services completely. If you do elect to make a 900 call, each call should begin with an announcement of the company name and the per-minute rate of the call. You should also be given the option to accept the terms or terminate the call.

 All 900 bills should provide you with a contact id there is a problem or dispute. A block for your telephone may be obtained by contacting your telephone company.