You know the old warning "look out for misleading area codes designed to get you to call phone numbers billed to Carribean islands in area code 809"? Well, there are now two more area codes that you need to be concerned about. Area code 664 in Montserrat and 473 in Grenada are now included in the 809 scam rings.

What usually happens is that you will receive a message on your answering machine that asks you to call a number beginning with one of these area codes. They let you know that you have own a prize and that you need to call them to claim it. Because there are so many new area codes recently, people unknowingly return these calls. If you call from the US, you will apparently be charged $25 per minute! Sometimes the person who answers the phone will speak broken English and pretend not to understand you. Other times, you'll just get a long recorded message. The point is, they will try to keep you on the phone as long as possible to increase the charges. Unfortunately, when you get your phone bill, you'll often be charged more than $100 for the phone call.

More recently, the notification has been sent via e-mail, and may look something like this:

I am writing to give you a final 24 hrs to settle your outstanding account. If I have not received the settlement in full, I will commence legal proceedings without further delay. If you would like to discuss this matter to avoid court action, call Mike Murray at Global Communications at +1 809 496 2700.

Don't fall for these. If you receive a message on your answering machine notifying you of a win and the caller doesn't identify themselves, be suspicious. Always check the area code before calling them back! If you receive an e-mail message asking you to call a phone number that you don't recognize, check the area code first!

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