BellSouth April Fool's Consumer Alert: Don't Be a Victim of Rampant Telephone Fraud Epidemic.

Weekend Assignment Editors

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 30, 2001

Telemarketing crime has become a big business. It is estimated that telephone fraud costs consumers $40 billion a year and that telemarketing criminals cheat one of six Floridians every year. This April Fool's Day, BellSouth is warning its customers not to fall prey to this new epidemic of telecommunications fraud and has set up an information center so they can inform themselves about the latest scams.

"It is important that consumers take control of their telephone charges," said BellSouth Marketing Director Faith Miller. "Most consumers who call BellSouth and have become victims of telephone fraud had no idea they had been scammed until they reviewed their bills. BellSouth's new bill format, being distributed this month, will be a big help in highlighting any fraud or unauthorized charges to our customers."

The scams to watch out for are:

-- Individuals claiming to be a BellSouth or telephone company employee -
compiling customer's personal information to order or use the customer's
calling card, or coming to your door asking for a past due payment;

-- Persons dressed in attire similar to BellSouth technician uniforms

- seeking access to areas that would be off-limits to others; and

-- Individuals claiming to have a friend at BellSouth who can work

out payment arrangements or discounts - asking for half of the

owed amount and then paying the bill with stolen check.

The most common scams of those claiming to be BellSouth employees involve:

-- A con artist will call a customer claiming your calling card was

found and a large volume of long distance calls have been

detected. They then ask you to divulge enough proprietary

information, allowing them to use or order a calling card under

your name. The fraudulent long distance calls are then billed to

the victim's address. Do not provide any information without

confirming an individual's identity. BellSouth has the information

it needs already in its customer records. If you have any

questions call BellSouth.

-- Someone claiming to work for BellSouth knocks on your door and

insists you pay a past due telephone bill or service will be

terminated immediately. They might even have a copy of a telephone

bill that was previously stolen from the customer's mailbox.

BellSouth does not send employees to personally collect funds. Ask

the individual to come back later and contact BellSouth.

Another scam involves someone who is wearing attire similar to BellSouth service technician uniforms. They ask for access to the telephone room or another area of the home or office that would be considered off-limits to anyone else. The con artist then steals telephone cards that operate the business or other sensitive or valuable materials. Always ask for proper identification. All BellSouth employees have picture ID cards; make sure you see it before inviting them in.

Lastly, another popular scam involves customers who may be experiencing financial hardships. An individual claims to have a friend in the telephone company who can obtain a discount off their bill. They ask for money from the customer amounting to half of the bill then go to a payment office and use a stolen check to pay the full bill. The scam artist then returns with a receipt showing the bill was paid and asks if a similar favor can be done for a family member or a friend of the victim. Once the stolen check bounces, BellSouth interrupts service for non-payment. By law, BellSouth cannot offer discounts on telephone service. Always be wary of anyone asking for you to give them money to pay your bills.

Other scams and even possible threatening encounters can come from your computer. Often children or unsuspecting customers are asked to divulge names, phone numbers, passwords and e-mail addresses over the Internet. This opens the door for a scam artist and other strangers to have access to your computer's materials. Here are a few tips to avoid online hazards.

-- Parents are encouraged to use the Internet with their children.

Show them Internet safety while learning about the technology

together.

-- Never give out personal information on the Web, especially to

people you meet in chat rooms.

-- If you have a family web page, eliminate your address, where the

children go to school, your e-mail address or any specific

personal information.

-- Instruct your children never to plan face to face meetings with an

online buddy without advising you first. Never rendezvous alone

with someone you meet online.

-- Steer clear from offensive or dangerous e-mail or chat requests.

If you or your child feel uncomfortable about an online encounter,

leave the website immediately.

-- Establish clear ground rules for family Internet use. Learn about

software that allows parents to restrict where children go on the

Web.

-- If you are worried that your child or another person is in danger

from an online experience, call the police.

To review the latest online safety tips and telephone fraud information, BellSouth has established a website devoted to consumer information. It is: www.bellsouth.com/neighborhoodwatch

"As technology develops, so do the opportunities for telecommunications fraud or even worse, dangerous and illegal activities. The Internet and your telephone are portals to your home, similar to a front door. On this April Fool's Day BellSouth wants to remind our customers to be careful who they let through," said Miller.

About BellSouth Corporation

BellSouth Corporation is a Fortune 100 communications services company headquartered in Atlanta serving more than 44 million customers in the United States and 16 other countries.

Consistently recognized for customer satisfaction, BellSouth provides a full array of broadband data and e-commerce solutions to business customers, including Web hosting and other Internet services. In the residential market, BellSouth offers DSL high-speed Internet access, advanced voice features and other services. BellSouth also provides online and directory advertising services, including BellSouth(R) Real PagesSM.com.

BellSouth owns 40 percent of Cingular Wireless, the nation's second largest wireless company, which provides innovative wireless data and voice services.

For more information on BellSouth, please visit http://www.bellsouth.com.