Carefully read the fine print before you fill out contest forms, especially if they ask for your phone number. Likewise, read the fine print before you place a call in response to a sweepstakes promotion. Be cautious about calling unfamiliar 800 numbers. Unscrupulous entertainment providers may use this ruse to send you a bill. You have three seconds after the message ends to hang up without being charged.
Blocks also are available for international, long distance, and local toll calls.
Call your local phone company for details. Check your phone bill every month for unfamiliar charges. Sometimes, a call placed to a toll-free number may be fraudulently billed as a 900 number, collect call, or international call. Also, calls to information and entertainment providers in foreign countries may not be described as such. They may be listed as ordinary international toll calls, or calling card calls.