About 9:30pm, we received a phone call on our home phone from "an inmate at the Harris County Jail..." I decided to accept the call since I have so many siblings and one of them might be in trouble. After I accepted the call, a gentleman got on the phone stating he was an officer and had a young man in custody by the name of "Michael Smith" ("smith" right...) and Michael had given him my number for immediate family. I explained that I did not know this young man, but that I accepted the call for fear one of my siblings might be in trouble.
The officer seemed very sweet and apologetic about the mix-up. He explained the charges would be removed as long as I immediately called *721-713-979-**** after we got off the phone and when the machine kicked on stated my phone number, his name "Officer Johnson" and his badge number #1459. I thanked him and immediately called.
Well, for the rest of the night, my phone rang once then hang-up. No caller ID. No one on the other end of the phone. I tried *69, but it would just ring and ring. I eventually turned off the ringer and went to bed.
Finally, this morning, I decided to do some research b/c when I turned the ringer back on, still...1 ring then hang-up. Turns out, it was a SCAM!!! By me dialing *72 before the number (1-713-979-****) I had forwarded my phone, allowing multiple inmates at the Harris County Jail to make collect calls to their relatives ALL NIGHT LONG while charging MY PHONE!!! I immediately pressed *73 to unforward my phone, but the damage had been done. I will have to contact AT&T on Monday to have the charges removed and to find-out the total cost of the charges (I'll let you know...).
CRAZY, right?!?
So, now you know too!!! NEVER, EVER let this happen to you.
*sigh*
