Dont Dial 809Hoax

For an explanation as to why this is considered a hoax, check http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blnote11.htm

In some stories, it is claimed that the cost per minute for these calls can be up to $25 a minute, while others claim the charges can be only as high as $2,425 per minute.

If your long distance carrier is charging you over $1 a minute, they're the ones scamming you. This isn't to say some won't charge more than this, but I've been asking for anyone to send actual documentation of $25 a minute charges since 1997 at http://cageyconsumer.com/useless.html and nobody's responded yet.

Most recently, this misinformation was disseminated by ABC Channel 7 on their 7/5/2003 11 p.m. news ( http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/ ).

Here's a list of more news outlets carrying this story:

Lake Houston Sun (8/6/2003): http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=9962255&BRD=1582&PAG=461&dept_id=184354&rfi=6
Channel 3000 (7/31/2003): http://www.channel3000.com/money/2370312/detail.html
WOWT, NBC Channel 6, Omaha (7/3/2003): http://www.wowt.com/news/features/2/377142.html
NBC Channel 17 (6/16/2003): http://www.nbc17.com/money/2272359/detail.html
Scripps-Howard News Service (6/11/2003): http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=AREACODESCAMS-06-11-03
Toledo Blade (6/11/203): http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030611/NEWS03/106110093
Knoxville News Sentinel (6/11/2003): http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/national/article/0,1406,KNS_350_2029485,00.html
Savannah Morning News (6/9/2003): http://www.savannahnow.com/stories/060903/LOCpollycolumn.shtml
U. S. Army Kwajalein Atoll (4/29/2003): http://www.smdc.army.mil/KWAJ/Hourglass/issues/03Issues/hourglass4_29_03.pdf (This story accurately states that per-minute charges should be under $3 per minute.)
Edwards Air Force Base RAO Newsletter (3/19/2003): http://www.edwards.af.mil/rao/docs_html/newsletter.html
Unisys Retirees Newsletter (3/13/2003): http://members.aol.com/unisysbbretirees/minutes0303.html
Lakewood, CO City Government (2/24/2003): http://www.lakewood.org/index.cfm?&include=/PD/CrimeInformation/alert16.cfm
Burlington Northern & Santa Fe (2/20/2003): http://www.bnsf.com/media/articles/2003/02/2003-02-20-d.html?index=/media/articles/index.html
Atlantic States Telephone Answering Association (6/2002): http://www.astaa.org/_newsletters/june_2002.htm
University of Texas Medical Branch (3/25/2002): http://www.utmb.edu/computervirusinfo/ChainLetters/AreaCode809.htm

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