Beware of Telephone Scam

[Lise]

Just received this in my email, beware of this telephone scam.

  > Subject: telephone scam
>
> I dialed '0' and asked the operator who
>        did comfirm that this was correct  so please pass it on .
>
>        Pass it to everyone you know.
>
>        I received a call last evening from an individual identifying
>        himself as an AT&T  service technician (could 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 [FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff80"]DO NOT press 90# for ANYONE [/FONT]! The GTE Security
>        Department requested that I share this information with EVERYONE
>        I KNOW. After checking with Telus, they said it was true, so do
>        not dial 90# for anyone!!!!!
>
>         PLEASE HIT THAT FORWARD BUTTON AND PASS THIS ON TO       EVERYONE
> YOU  KNOW
>
>        Vivian Thompson, Crime Prevention Coordinator
>
>        South Surrey District 5 RCMP
>
>        604-592-3826 E-mail [A href="http://by103fd.bay103.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/compose?mailto=1&msg=62A97341-E257-42CD-A29C-0258FE89E59A&start=0&len=12177&src=&type=x&[email protected]&cc=&bcc=&subject=&body=&curmbox=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&a=20f537242d14ed44fd53fb82b2ad08ee47b2cda1cac97e97439f98321424aeab"][email protected][/A]
>        <[A href="http://by103fd.bay103.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/compose?mailto=1&msg=62A97341-E257-42CD-A29C-0258FE89E59A&start=0&len=12177&src=&type=x&[email protected]&cc=&bcc=&subject=&body=&curmbox=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&a=20f537242d14ed44fd53fb82b2ad08ee47b2cda1cac97e97439f98321424aeab"]mailto:[email protected][/A]>

[kitten]

Thank you, Lise.  That's good information to have.

[Gopher]

I've just e-mailed it to several people.  

[TehBorken]

Errrrrrrr.....sort of true, sort of not true. Details:

[a href="http://www.snopes.com/fraud/telephone/jailcall.asp"]http://www.snopes.com/fraud/telephone/jailcall.asp[/a]

Excerpt:

"[font color="#000000" face="Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial"]However, this warning is overblown in that there is practically no chance that the scam outlined above could affect the average residential or cell phone customer. Unless you're staying at a hotel or using a phone in some other setting where you have to press '9' to obtain an outside line, the only result you'll obtain from trying this is likely to be a fast busy signal."[/font]
 

[Lise]

Oh really, TB? Nevertheless, I'm not pressing any buttons on my phone for anyone... unless of course, it's a line connected to DiscoverSeattle hot love line.

[TehBorken]

 Lise wrote:
[div style="font-style: italic;"]I'm not pressing any buttons on my phone for anyone... unless of course, it's a line connected to DiscoverSeattle hot love line.[/div]
MmmmmmmmMmmmmmmmmmm!    

[kingy]

whats the number for the hot love line?

[Russ]

kingy wrote:
 whats the number for the hot love line?[/DIV]
 911. Theres always someone waiting to speak to you and will listen to your every word.