TYPO: The middle three digits refer to the "exchange" they are NOT the area code.

It's been many years, but I think my AT&T landline still blocks calls to pay-per-call numbers at my request.

If the mobile providers don't offer this service, they should.

I can see how people can fall for this. With cell phones being so ubiquitous, you may actually be dealing locally, but the person might have just moved and they have a Salt Lake City area code when you live in Wichita. And a lot of people don't even change their phone numbers anymore when they move, and unless you recognize all of the pay per call scam codes, it's easy to accept a different phone code as a legitimate area code.

Ahhh... "976", I remember your late night commercials well.

The fact that the exchange (the second set of three) is what makes this difficult to spot. Just looking at it, I would call this number without thinking about it, since 908 is a valid area code in the area of NJ that I am from.

Anyone else as sick of these scammers as I am? Get a job and earn money the old fashioned way. There are some scams that are obviously scams, but this is something anyone could fall for. I'm just sick of it all.

What would happen if you called the number with Google Voice?

@pimptacular: I'm certain that Google has already killed off access to pay-per-call features to avoid shouldering the cost or trouble.

How would this be legal for the phone company to charge you $10 for this call?

Are these charges disclosed to you, especially when you sign up for all these "unlimited local and long distance" services?

How can they legally charge you $10 for a call to a telephone number without disclosing the charges first? I don't care WHAT country these scammers are operating out of -- if you are dialing a 1+ number (ie, 1+areacode & number, or a 1+ 10-digit number) you have the reasonable expectation of dialing a standard UNITED STATES call. And 1-900 numbers are required to disclose the cost of the call at the beginning with a certain amount of time that you can hang up without being charged.

Sounds like the phone companies, if they are demanding payment (read: if you don't pay they will turn off your service) are opening themselves up to one hell of a class action lawsuit.

908 isn't a pay per call area code. It's a normal area code in central NJ.

@pimptacular:

Out of curiousity I tried it -- It dials and connects but I get a "busy signal" sound.

Great! I have 550 (xxx-550-xxxx) as my exchange, and all this time I could have been charging my friends $5-10 per call?

But seriously, do phone companies not have a problem letting regular phone numbers (non-900 #s) charge an exorbitant fee per call?

I was also wondering about google voice and the ability to forward calls (GV forwards to my 550 number w/o a problem). When I respond to craigslist ads in the future I will probably have to give out my GV number to avoid the other party thinking I'm a scammer.

@Dooley: The phone company is just the messenger.

It's like those horoscope text services. Add the cost to the phone bill, but the charge isn't from the phone company.

AFAIK, if you have at&t mobility, you signed away your right to a trial by judge/jury AND your right to a class action suit.

@tbax929: I don't blame you. It seems like they are everywhere these days, so much so that it's hard to even do anything.

I'm half tempted to hole up in my house and have groceries delivered and never come out.

@Dooley: because these are "900 numbers," they aren't area codes, and therefore don't fall under the "unlimited local and long distance" plans. And yes, they should provide a disclaimer, but obviously, as is the nature of the scam, they do not.

@HogwartsAlum:
No kidding. Don't use an ATM because it may be rigged to steal your info. Don't use your pin because someone might capture it. Don't open your door to strangers selling something because they're just going to rip you off. Don't answer ads on Craigslist because it may be a scam to charge you money.

Aaaaaagggghhhhhhh!

@sn1per:
Thanks for pointing that out. I thought that was the case when I read the posting but figured someone from that area would chime in soon enough.

I have some clients in Jersey, and I think that's their area code, which is why it rang a bell with me.

Hey! 915 is the area code for El Paso, TX!!!

@RenRen:
Maybe they're all legitimate area codes. I'm not curious enough to look them up, though. LOL.

Is there a legitimate reason for such numbers to still exist? Or, indeed, the whole business of companies cramming charges on our phone bills (I'm looking at you, Fake Yellow Pages Company...)? Maybe once upon a time there was a real justification to enable people without credit cards to buy some kind of service or product by phone, but these days, is there any legitimate business model associated with this?

@czetie: I suppose some premium tech support or customer service could make use of it, but I think they could get their money other ways.

@alexawesome:

908 is not a "900" number -- it's an area code in New Jersey.

@sn1per: As somebody points out upthread, the Consumerist article confuses "exchange" and "area code." These are pay per call exchanges, not area codes.

@sirwired: Maybe so, but they're not referring to the middle three digits, they're referring to the area code, which is 908, as in 908-554-2787.
The 554 appears to be a coincidence.

I couldn't agree more. I won't buy gas now with my debit or credit card. I only use the ATM that is attached to my credit union inside the grocery store during regular banking hours and I NEVER open the door to strangers. I use cash for everything these days and when I do shop online I look for every security feature out there. Damn scammers are making me into a paranoid freak!

pointing this out.. but 940 is the area code for North Texas, north of Dallas (972/214/469) and Ft Worth (817/682), that covers Denton and Gainsville.

I thought that their was a Federal law requiring the phone company to notify you when you call a pay-per-call number, and give you the option of hanging up without charge. Consumerist, is this no longer correct?

@tbax929: Most of the population's income is generate at least in part from some sort of scam. Every product is "marketed" through lying and deceptive pricing. Unless you work for the government, in which case you just steal blatantly.

If you have a Google Voice account (it's free so it's worth requesting an invite) then you can use them to place the call and Google voice will call you back on your line to connect the call. I'm pretty sure that you would not then be on the hook for the fees if indeed it was a scammy Verizon number. Since Google placed the call they, if anyone, would owe the fees. Google voice accounts are free so I suspect that Google voice would (or will soon) block the call all together which is what we want anyway.

@floraposte: Wait a second, so that means anyone can get a PPC exchange in any area code? How can the phone companies allow that? It's like asking for people to set up scam phone numbers.

@Easton21: sirwired is right, those are exchange numbers. 908 is just a regular area code in NJ.

In this age of digital computerized phones, the phone company should be showing us how much a call is going to cost before it connects - maybe they need to be forced to start providing such basic information. What other industry has such obscure rate information?

@sn1per: 940 and 915 appear to be area codes in Texas.

[en.wikipedia.org]

@josephbloseph: If we were to fix our broken credit/debit card system and make it secure, then they could get their money other ways. Cramming charges onto a phone bill should ONLY be allowed if the phone customer approves subscribing to such a service AND approves each charge.

What needs to happen is that FCC needs to make all pay per call phone numbers to announce the rate before the call and have the dialer hit 1 to accept or hang up.

@sirwired: Two of those numbers are valid area codes that take up a large portion of Texas (915 West Texas and 940 North Central Texas). These areas are largely rural and Hispanic, and many times calls are already long distance within those area codes. People don't need to be afraid to use their phones.

976 has always been a pay area code.

@Easton21: RTFLs. Yes they are, the middle three digits are called the "exchange" which is exactly what Verizon refers to in it's memo and what the posters refer to in the Fat Wallet forum.

The unfortunate thing is that many people call long distance using their cell phones now, just try and get those charges reversed by AT&T Wireless...

This is 2009. I can get broadband to my home. Cops can drive around and scan thousands of license plates in an hour with a little camera. I can book a trip around the world from my cell phone.

Time to kill off or update this fond memory of the 1970's and institute processes to assure the person calling is fully aware it's a "pay per call" number and give them time to refuse it. Period.

On a related subject, since Canada formats their numbers just like ours, the phone companies should be required to play a message that tells you that you are dialing to an area that is not included in your minutes.

@Skaperen: Premium tech or customer service could always get their money by setting up billing accounts with customers, and require the customers identify their service account at the start of the calls. This does not necessarily have anything to do with your opinions of the credit/debit card system.
There is nothing inherently wrong with these numbers, the problem is that scammers are using them for scams.

915 is elpaso number. i have tht. its cant always be a pay per call number.