Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!texbell!chinacat!telecom-gateway From: brian@ucsd.edu (Brian Kantor) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: 976 Scum Message-ID: Date: 30 Nov 89 21:22:25 GMT Sender: news@chinacat.Lonestar.ORG Organization: The Avant-Garde of the Now, Ltd. Lines: 25 Approved: telecom-request@chinacat.lonestar.org X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 541, message 6 of 7 The latest 976 scam is taking place here in San Diego; on the way to work this morning I noticed several of those hardware-store type "HOUSE FOR RENT" signs tacked up on phone poles around the neighborhood, with 976-5222 as the number to call. Yup, there's some scum running a rental referral agency with a 976 number. Now understand that in California (or San Diego, at least) a rental agency must maintain a list of referrals available at no charge as well as any fee-for-info lists they sell. So having a number that automatically charges for rental listings is very probably illegal. And the signs were tacked onto phone poles, an act which is itself a misdemeanor. I am not an attorney, but in a case like this, since Pac Bell is in some way acting as the collection agent of the 976 service provider where the very act of collecting the money is what is illegal, could not they also be charged in any criminal action? Perhaps there is some exemption in the law somewhere. I wonder if Pac Bell's legal department knows about this? Or cares. - Brian