Sept. 10, 2001 — An unknown individual has been making long-distance calls at the expense of some AT&T business customers, but not without their help.
According to AT&T spokeswoman Claudia LaBorde, the phone company has been informed about the scam, which involves a man who says he is an AT&T Virgin Islands employee conducting a "underground wire test." He calls business customers with PABX switches and then requests that the operator provide him with a dial tone by dialing nine, then zero. By doing so, the business gives the caller long-distance access at the expense of the business.
Most of the reports have come from St. Croix, La Borde said, "but that doesn't mean he won't try on St. Thomas."
La Borde said AT&T Virgin Islands is not conducting any testing of this nature. She urged businesses to deny access of this nature to any caller representing himself as an employee of AT&T, or call AT&T Virgin Islands for confirmation of any testing.