Remaining up-to-date on the most recent telephony scams is important for every consumer says leading business answering service training company Focus Point.
Eldersburg, MD -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/05/2012 -- Fraudulent “900” numbers aren’t the only missed calls you need to avoid returning. So says Focal Point, a top business answering service training company campaigning to alert consumers to the expensive modern day telephone scams they may find themselves falling into.
Focal Point is making it very clear that phone numbers starting with “900” hardly represent the only premium-rate telephone numbers currently looking to catch unsuspecting callers. Modern day equivalents of the infamous “900” number are numbers that start with “204,” “809,” and “876.” Calling either of these numbers can result in a very expensive and unexpected pay-per-minute phone call.
According to Focal Point these three numbers represent area codes found within the Caribbean- area codes currently being commonly used in scams.
The scam associated with these numbers is very simple. An individual will receive a phone call from one of these numbers. The number will leave a voicemail alerting the individual of some sort of good news (such as winning a contest). The voice mail will also let users know they need to call the number back to redeem their prize.
Focal Point explains that these numbers often charge individuals $1.49 per minute, $3.99 per minute, or even more for every minute that individual is on the phone. The companies running these scams keep individuals on the line for as long as possible by putting them on hold, by redirecting their call repeatedly, and by asking many long, drawn out questions.
Victims of these scams often are unaware that anything fraudulent occurred until they check their phone bill and see they were charged for this call. Because individuals are enticed to call the number back on their own they often have little legal recourse they can take to get their money back.
In order to avoid falling prey to these traps business answering service training company Focal Point recommends never responding to calls from numbers starting with 204, 809, 876, and, of course, 900.
Focus Point provides top-tier business answering service training and business answering services for a wide range of enterprise clients with call center needs.
To learn more about Focus Point’s recent consumer education campaigns visit the company’s website at http://businessphoneansweringservices.com/