As the number of Hispanic Texans has gone up, so has their purchasing power. In the most common form of this scam, the caller pretends to be a relative from Mexico who urgently needs to speak with a family member. The caller uses the same last name as the Texas consumer to trick the victim into accepting the call. Only when it is too late does the consumer realize that the call is a fraud. In many cases, the call only lasts a few seconds, but the consumer is billed for a full five minutes.
Some consumers report being charged for collect calls they never accepted.
Others claim no one was home at the time the collect call was allegedly made and accepted. In some cases, consumers have been targeted for repeat calls. There are several steps you can take to protect yourself. Before accepting a collect call, ask the operator where it was placed from, how much the charges will be per minute and if there is a minimum amount of time you must pay for. Ask the operator to relay the questions to the caller or ask the operator to stay on the line until you verify the caller's identity.