Re: SCAMMED by Jamaican 876 number
- From: The Real Bev <bashley101+usenet@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2006 20:31:54 -0700
Mike T. wrote:
<mistersandiego@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:Just got a phone bill in which there's a 9-minute call to 876 396-3758
at $4 a minute. Best I can figure out is that malware somehow got on my
PC and called out to that number via the modem. Strange since I've got
an up-to-date virus scanner, both hardware and software firewalls, and
I keep my Windows XP completely updated with the latest patches. It
could have been built into some recently-installed app, I suppose, or
perhaps it was a "first day" or unknown exploit.
I've since disconnnected the modem, but AT&T isn't going to do anything
about the charge. I even asked if I could have them block international
and/or pay-per-minute calls. Short answer: we can block *all*
long-distance calls or not, your choice. Gee, thanks.
Monday I'm going to sign up for phone service from my cable provider;
at least they offer pay-per-minute blocking. AT&T won't miss the $40 a
month they used to get from me, but I'll have my petty revenge.
If you're using a high-speed connection but still have your old modem
hooked to your phone line, beware. Disconnect it.
If you've already got a cable modem connection, look into packet8 VOIP service.
Son had Packet8 for a few months, and then discontinued it due to dropped calls, bad connections, etc. Went cell only for a while, and recently signed up with Vonage. No report card yet.
It's probably cheaper than phone service from your cable provider, unless you get a really good package price for multiple services.
A few weeks ago Charter sent me a postcard offering phone service (local, LD, voicemail, caller ID, probably some other stuff) for $20/month. Not bad, since I pay about that for local service with no extras (which I neither need nor want). I guess they figured I wanted a better deal, because a week later they sent me a bigger postcard offering phone service for $30/month. I think their marketing department needs some reorganization.
We've used packet8 for a few months and it works fine. We also have two cell phones. With both services, long distance is free (but not to Jamaica, ha ha) and neither service is hooked up to any computer modem, obviously.
If you're still using a land-line (POTS) telephone provider, you should have ditched that years ago. Yeah, people like to say "what about emergencies"? As I said before, we've got a VOIP line, plus two cell phones. I figure the odds of all three telephone devices failing at the same time are about as good as a traditional phone line failing. Plus, the VOIP line has enhanced 911 service on it, so you can't even say that 911 works better with a regular land-line. -Dave
Every once in a while my mom (who has no use for a cell phone) has a power outage. She's glad she still has one of the old-fashioned phones that doesn't need a wall-wart.
--
Cheers,
Bev
-------------------------------------------------------------
"We've got some stupid people out there. This morning, I woke
up in a bathtub filled with ice and I had an extra kidney."
.
- References:
- SCAMMED by Jamaican 876 number
- From: mistersandiego@xxxxxxxxx
- Re: SCAMMED by Jamaican 876 number
- From: Mike T.
- SCAMMED by Jamaican 876 number
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