Why will AT&T/SBC do nothing about scam attempts?

Question

Today I got a collect call from a correctional facility with a guy saying he dialed the wrong number and he only got one call and could I please call his girlfriend at 281 495 2902 and tell her he was in jail. But, I had to dial *72 first. I immediately looked it up and saw it was a scam. I called the phone company and after waiting on the line for probably an hour total (out of all of the waits after disconnects which were frequent) I was told there was nothing I could do. I said "Well, I have the number that he was trying to call. Can't you watch numbers being redirected to that?" I was told no. So, now, people who don't watch the news, don't look things up on the internet, or have the sense are being taking advantage for being nice people and are being charged $3.66/minute, but the phone company doesn't care. Why is that? Why do they not care if their customers are getting scammed?

calls from 713-507-9958 and 713-718-0989. Harris county jail.

Answer 1

THERE OUGHT TO BE A WAY THAT OUR CALLER ID WOULD WARN US ABOUT THIS. I MEAN THE PHONES IN JAILS COULD TELL US THAT IN PLAIN ENGLISH " THIS CALL IS FROM PRISON CAUTION" IT WOULD CERTAINLY WARN US!!



THE AGENCY IN CHARGE HOWEVER IS THE FCC THOUGH THEY ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO ARE OVER ALL THE PHONES IN ALL THE JAILS AND PRISONS.



A COMPLAINT TO THEM TO START THIS WARNING WOULD BE WHERE IT WOULD START! THEY WOULD MAKE THE PHONE COMPANIES CARE! BUT THEY ARE THE ONE AND ONLY THING!



ALAS THE PHONE COMPANIES WILL DO WHATEVER THE FCC WILL ALLOW.



START WITH THE GOVERNMENT FIRST!



THIS CAN BE A CONGRESSMAN!



THIS CAN BE A SENATOR!



THIS CAN BE THE PRESIDENT!





ALAS THE FCC DOES WORK DIRECTLY FOR PRES GEORGE BUSH DROP HIM A NOTE!



BUT TALKING TO A PHONE OPERATOR WILL GET YOU NOWHERE!



TALK TO THE M A N .





HAVE A GOOD DAY!





GO TO THE TOP!





APS





YOU ADDED ON SO NOW I DO



I AM GLAD THAT THEY WARNED YOU THAT IT WAS FROM A JAIL!



I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE COULD BE DONE.



YOU WOULD JUST HAVE TO BE A REAL HARD-HEARTED PERSON NOT TO HELP SOMEHOW , I SUPPOSE ! MAYBE OFFER TO RELAY A MESSAGE IF YOU FELT THAT PERSONALLY COMPELLED. YOU KNOW GO AHEAD AND PLACE THE CALL YOURSELF AND TELL WHOEVER THE MESSAGE FOR THE INDIVIDUAL AND JUST EAT THE COST AND JUST CHALK IT UP TO GOOD BEING A GOOD HUMAN BEING. I UNDERSTAND THAT ONCE YOU TRANSFER YOUR PHONE TO AN OTHER PHONE THAT THEY HAVE TOTAL CONTROL OF YOUR LINE , CAN MAKE NUMEROUS CALLS ! NOT JUST ONE! YOU KNOW BY PUSHING POUND KEY OR ASTERISK SOMETHING! ANYWAY YOU GOT OFF LIGHT !



THEY COULD OF CALLED OVERSEAS! OR A 1-900 NUMBER AND CHARGED IT TO YOUR PHONE! ONCE THEY WERE TRANSFERED TO IT!



I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT YOU WERE WARNED! SHAME ON YOU!



HEY! HAVE A GOOD DAY! IT COULD OF BEEN WORSE!!!!!!







NOT EVERYONE IS A SCAMMER, BUT THOSE WHO ARE, RUIN IT FOR EVERYONE ELSE!





HAVE A GOOD DAY ! DO NOT LOOSE FAITH IN HUMANITY , JUST BE CAUTIOUS ! DON'T ALWAYS JUMP IN , BE SOMEWHAT HESITANT ON THINGS THAT CAN INVOLVE YOUR FINANCES!





BE GOOD,





LORD KNOWS I COULDN'T PUT IN CALL BLOCK ON OUR LOCAL JAILS I WOULD NEVER GET TO TALK TO MY DISTANT RELATIVES!!!! OR SO THEY SAY!!!



APS

Answer 2

It was my understand that payphones in correctional facilities/jails are designed to send a message before they connect stating so.



Anyway....just what is it you would like the phone company to do? Find the guy and toss him in jail?



What you need to do is contact the Harris county jail and inform them that their inmates are abusing the phone, and it needs to be better monitored.



The phone company's hands are tied. there really isn't much they can do about it.

Answer 3

Most phone companies do not care about the consumer. Maybe they have not yet had enough complaints to warrant an investigation or maybe they don't understand it's a scam. I would contact the Better Business Bureau.

Answer 4

Notify your local police and your state attorney general. Telco's do not monitor content of phone conversations, it is an invasion of privacy, unless authorized by law enforcement/courts.