Consumer AlertsWe have recently been made aware of the following alert:
Online shoe and apparel retailer, Zappos.com, announced on Sunday, January 15, 2012, that hackers had broken into their company’s system through one of its servers in Kentucky and obtained data on its 24+ million Zappos.com customers. The hackers took names, billing, shipping and email addresses, phone numbers and partial credit card numbers of Zappos customers, as well as their cryptographically scrambled passwords.
Based on reports from Zappos, it appears that users' full credit card information is safe, though they could be at risk if these customers use the same email and password combination to access other sites. Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh stated the secure database that stores customers' critical card and other payment data was neither affected nor accessed.
In addition to expiring and resetting customers' passwords, Zappos has created a link that will let each customer securely create a new password. Zappos is also urging customers to change their passwords on any other websites where they use the stolen password or similar ones, and it has warned them to be wary of emails and phone calls that ask for personal information or direct them to websites asking for personal information.
809 Area Code Scam
This long distance phone scam causes consumers to inadvertently incur high charges on their phone bills. Consumers usually receive a message telling them to call a phone number with an 809, 284, 649, or 876 area code in order to collect a prize, find out information about a sick relative, etc. The caller assumes the number is a typical three-digit U.S. area code; however, the caller is actually connected to a phone number outside the United States, often in Canada or the Caribbean, and charges international call rates. Unfortunately, consumers don't find out that they have been charged higher international call rates until they receive their bill.
AT&T recommends the following tips to help avoid the 809 area code scam:
- Return calls to familiar numbers only. As a general rule, return calls from numbers that contain familiar or recognizable area code location.
- Carefully read your telephone bill. Make sure that you only receive charges from your provider of choice. Ensure you thoroughly understand charges listed on your phone bill, have chosen to do business with all of the listed providers billing for those charges and have authorized additional fees invoiced. If your local service provider has changes, you will receive a final bill from the former provider and a notice of service disconnection.
If you believe that you have been scammed:
- Contact the carrier with whom the charge originated, whose name and toll-free telephone number should be printed on the same bill page as the charge in question. Often, the problem can be resolved with a single phone call.
- If the carrier with whom the charge originated does not agree to resolve the problem, contact AT&T. They will work with you and the carrier to help remove fraudulent charges from the phone bill.
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