Telecom--Index & Description 
Scam Information
Here you will find resources to assist you in avoiding scams as well as ways to debunk that junk! Click here to jump to some helpful websites you can use to check the veracity of an email or keep up with current scams.
SCAM ALERT: (4/3/03) Several hospitals in Pennsylvania have reported getting calls from "telephone repairmen" asking to be transferred to an outside line in order to test the line. They then racked up astronomical long distance charges that the hospitals had to pay for. No one from any telephone company should be contacting you for repairs. Contact Telecommunications at either x2524 or x2011 if you wish to check if a telephone repair person either in person or on the phone is legitimate. If you receive any type of suspicious call from someone claiming to be a telephone company employee, please report it to Telecommunications immediately.
| Select a Scam | ||
|---|---|---|
Name of Scam |
Brief Synopsis |
Verdict |
| 90# Phone Scam | Caller gets you to transfer them to operator but the charges get billed to you. | A scam that only works at businesses that require you to dial '9' to get an outside line (i.e. CSUF). Click here to learn more about the scam. |
| Classroom Email Project | Email from an elementary school class wanting to see how many people their email reaches. You are asked to forward it and send an email to them with your location. | Some of these were real projects. But the sheer amount of emails that the class received caused the email account to be shut down. For most classes, it's a lesson in just how fast word spreads on the internet and just how long it takes for word to get out that the project is over. |
| Computer Virus Warnings | Sometimes these warnings ask you to delete a particular file on your hard drive. | Never delete a file on your hard drive that you are unfamiliar with. You can check the veracity of a computer virus warning at any of the links below or contact the Help Desk at x7777. |
| Dialing #77 on a cell phone gets you the highway police. | This is usually mentioned in a story about a woman who foiled a rape attempt by calling #77 on her cell phone to be sure that the police car that was following her was not a "fake cop." | #77 is not an emergency number in California. Dialing 911 connects you to the California Highway Patrol in an emergency when using a cell phone. It is recommended that you store your local police department's number in your cell phone to ensure that your emergency call is expedited. For the story details click here. |
| Dying/Sick Child Email | Email from a dying child of some illness who will get 1 cent from the American Cancer Society (or other organization) for each person you forward the message to. | NO organization has EVER offered money to a dying/sick child for every email they receive. |
| Free Prizes or Money Emails | Email claiming that you can win a million dollars, a trip to Disneyland, $5 per email, etc if you just forward the email to everyone you know. | There are no email tracking programs to track how many people received the email. Click for examples. |
| Nigerian (or 419) Scam | Email (or letter) claiming to get you millions of dollars from a dead Nigerian general...if you help launder the money. | A real scam that has recently made the transition to email. Report such email to your local law enforcement agency. |
| Telephone Repair Scam | Person claiming to be a telephone company repair person asks to be transferred to an outside line in order to "test" your line, which causes charges billed to you for the calls made by this person. | A scam that has been reported by several hospitals on the East Coast. No telephone company repair person should contact you about repairs. Call x2524 or x2011 to check if a repair person either on the phone or in person is legitimate. |
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Updated: 10/26/2009 1:20:33 PM
