Consumer Blog

Phone scam with 809, 876 or 284 area code

If you ever get a message asking you to call a phone number with any of these area codes, don't. These dial countries in the Carribean or Central America, and these messages are often a scam - a way to get you to pay big fees when you call. A Better Business Bureau chapter in Indiana recently sent a warning on this.

This scam uses numbers that are like 900 numbers in the U.S. You not only will pay long distance for this call, but the place you're calling may bill you as well. So if you return one of these messages, you may just get put on hold - and the longer you hold, the more they can charge you.

This may be going around right now: I just had a senior citizen report that he'd gotten this message. He called the number and was put on hold. That was several months ago, so if there was an extra charge on his phone bill, he says he doesn't remember it.

Page 16 of our Know Your Rights publication has the details.

Technorati Tags: 284 area code, 809 area code, 876 area code, phone scam, moagoconsumer, consumer protection

Posted by Travis on March 19, 2008 11:19 am :: Comments (6) :: Permalink

6 Responses to "Phone scam with 809, 876 or 284 area code"

super_chargers says:

March 19, 2008 2:41 pm

Thanks for the tip. Had no idea about the 284, 809, and 876 area codes.

Tracie says:

April 15, 2008 5:59 pm

My grandfather is getting contacted at least once a week. When I take over the call they either hang up or yell at me. How can I stop them from contacting him? The number on caller ID is : 876-581-2445 (Jamaica call)

Denotes the author of this comment is employed by the Attorney General's Office

Travis says:

April 16, 2008 10:54 am

To Tracie: If he is on the Missouri No Call list, he can file a No Call complaint with our office.

Mary says:

September 23, 2008 3:15 pm

A man goes by the name of David Wellinton calls my mother every week trying to talk her into collecting her winnings. Yeah right, when I talk to him or whoever, they all sound the same, they either argue that it is not a scam or hang up Today he call said I had to call the Bank Of America---1-876-782-6292 to arrange to collect. I did a search and of course I ended up on this site. Thanks for the information posted here.

Heather says:

December 7, 2008 1:58 am

I have a friend who lives with a 67 year old man (we'll call him Bob to protect his dignity). He was initially contacted about 3 weeks ago and western unioned $300 to Jamaica, since then this guy claiming his name is Keith has called just about every day telling Bob* that he will be getting a check in the mail in return for all the money Bob has sent.....so far he has sent over $3000, didn't pay rent, or any bills this month and also has started stealing money out of his mothers account who is in a hospice. EVERYONE he knows has told him to wake up, stop sending these crooks money and that it's just a big scam and he'll never see a dime of that money again....Bob tells us all that we'll see, he has faith and that we are the fools for not believing in this. We have no idea how to get through to him, he won't listen to a woman (they know nothing and are beneath men according to him!)and we even had the FBI contact him and they told him it was a scam, he won't even believe the! I could care less if he want's to blow his money on this garbage, but it's December and there is a 7 year old boy that will be the one to inevitably suffer because he lives in this place with my friend. They are going to end up evicted, phones shut off and no santa for the 7 year old this year. How do we convince this man that he's being taken for a serious ride and that he is being belligerant about reality?