Qwest Communications is launching a Customer Protection Initiative, a program and Website aimed at helping consumers identify potential fraud and theft online and on the phone.
"It is significant that major companies are dedicating time and resources to ensure that their customers don't become victims of a scam," said Ken Lane, a spokesman for Colorado attorney general Ken Salazar, in a statement accompanying the April 14 Qwest announcement.
The new site, Qwest said, provides easy-to-understand information and prevention tips on at least 10 different telephone and Internet scams, including voice mail scams, slamming (changing your chosen telephone service provider without your permission), cramming (charges for services you did not choose), "Caribbean dialing scam" (fake telephone messages trying to lure you to call foreign countries with expensive international toll rates), identity theft, wireless cloning (making a copy of your cell phone's electronic serial number and charging wireless service to your account without your knowing it was done), Internet modem scams (you were tricked into accessing "free" Internet content but got clobbered with an unexpected and expensive telephone call made through your modem), phishing (fake pages or e-mails made to resemble actual businesses and looking to trick recipients into providing personal and financial information), and others.
"We're putting the Spirit of Service into action by proactively working to protect customers and answer the questions we get from thousands of people each year about telephone and Internet scams," said Qwest risk management vice president Dave Heller, announcing the new program. "We hope this site helps our customers know when to be aware and when to take action."
The Customer Protection Program site also includes information and tips on avoiding these scams. Among other steps, the company said, you should only give out your personal information online if you trust the company or organization you deal with; shred your invoices when you throw them out; be aware of people you don't know asking to cooperate in testing your telephone lines; be careful when dialing area codes you don't really know well; and, answer cautiously, if at all, to any telemarketing or sweepstakes offers tied to your telecommunications or Internet services.
For more information, visit the Qwest Customer Protection Program online or call (800) 244-1111.
