If you are a Sprint user, make sure to check your bill closely. Sprint customers have begun to see items showing up on their bills for long distance calls that they did not place, and are now being charged in excess of $1000 in some cases.
The bogus long distance calls are originating from Sprint cell phones and are connecting to cities in the Caribbean. A previous long distance scheme that came out of the Caribbean required the Sprint user to actually make the call. This scam is completely unknown to the user until they receive their monthly statement.
There are many explanations for why this may be happening, but one possible cause could be unsecure PIN numbers. The idea is that people who have unsecured PINs, such as 12345, may have been hacked. After acquiring the PIN it may be possible to dial out from the voicemail prompt using the cell phones number. If true, this could be how the hackers are using the phone numbers to generate the fake calls.
Reports of unwanted calls are beginning to pop up on the web. Our tipster, who asked to remain anonymous, has provided us with a screenshot of his bill that clearly shows the outbound calls. Also, a quick search on Twitter reveals that other users are facing the same issue.
Neowin asked Sprint about the issues and a spokesperson confirmed Sprint are working on cases of fraudulent activity.
“Sprint is not alone in the wireless industry among carriers that have been affected by these types of fraudulent activities. Our teams are working proactively to identify these cases and address them before customers are affected," said a Sprint spokesperson. Sprint also confirmed they will not hold customers responsible for fraudulent calls placed on their accounts. While the issue is currently being worked on, if you find yourself a victim you are advised to contact Sprint immediately.
Update: The victim above has informed us that Sprint has now cut off their line because of the balance of bill being too high. Essentially, they want him to pay the bill to resume his cell phone service, but if he does, the hackers would be able to continue to make the expensive calls.
As mentioned by one of the commenter’s below, they had a similar issue but were eventually credited for the calls.
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