The Proctor and Gamble worships Satan rumor has been circulating pretty much as long as I can remember. It has been debunked repeatedly. Nevertheless, it apparently just won’t go away.
You have to take a pretty huge leap to look at the P&G logo and tie it to Satanism. That this silly rumor is STILL floating around the news today just amazes me.
Got this email today:
IMPORTANT INFO ABOUT AREA CODE 809
We actually received a call last week from the 809 area code. The woman said "Hey, this is Karen. Sorry I missed you–get back to us quickly. I Have something important to tell you." Then she repeated a phone number beginning with 809. We didn’t respond. Then this week, we received the following e-mail: Subject: DON’T EVER DIAL AREA CODE 809, 284, AND 876. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION PROVIDED TO US BY AT&T. DON’T EVER DIAL AREA CODE. This one is being distributed all over the US . This is pretty scary, especially given the way they try to get you to call. Be sure you read this and pass it on. They get you to call by telling you that it is information about a family member who has been ill or to tell you someone has-been arrested, died, or to let you know you have won a wonderful prize, etc. In each case, you are told to call the 809 number right away. Since there are so many new area codes these days, people unknowingly return these calls. If you call from the US , you will apparently be charged $2425 per-minute. Or, you’ll 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 $24,100.00.
WHY IT WORKS: The 809 area code is located in the British Virgin Islands (The Bahamas). The charges afterwards can become a real nightmare. That’s because you did actually make the call. If you complain, both your local phone company and your long distance carrier will not want to get involved and will most likely tell you that they are simply providing the billing for the foreign company. You’ll end up dealing with a foreign company that argues they have done nothing wrong. Please forward this entire message to your friends, family and colleagues to help them become aware of this scam.
Sandi Van Handel
AT&T Field Service Manager
(920)687-904Additional information on these area codes can be found from ATT at: http://www.consumer.att.com/consumertips/areacode.html
The beauty of this one is IF you click the ATT link, it tells you first thing:
Fraudsters have been distributing bogus e-mails through the Internet that are purported to come from AT&T. The topic: a phone scam involving the 809 area code. The scam itself is real, however, the e-mail and warning contain erroneous information. AT&T would like to set the record straight and separate fact from fiction.
The charge is about $4 a minute, not $2,400. However, it just boggles me that this email would still have life even though the email itself debunks the legend it promotes.