Terry Goddard Warns of Discontinued 1-800 Number

(Phoenix, Ariz. – July 18, 2005)  Attorney General Terry Goddard today warned consumers about using a disconnected, Attorney General toll-free telephone number. The Attorney General’s Office has received reports that callers dialing an old toll-free number for the Office’s Victim-Witness Services Program are being referred to a fee-based national directory assistance number.

Some callers reported that when calling the discontinued 1-800 number they are referred to a 10-10-275 national directory assistance service which charges $4.99 for the call plus additional fees. The fees are announced about halfway through the message, but not all consumers will listen to the whole message. Some consumers may believe this is a new toll-free directory assistance number because they originally called a toll-free government number. 

“It appears a directory service has purchased a number of old government toll-free numbers as a vehicle to promote their business,” Goddard said.  “The Attorney General’s Office does not use fee-based telephone numbers and I am concerned that other disconnected 1-800 numbers could be similarly affected.  If a caller dials a toll-free number and gets one of these messages,he or she should listen to the entire message before deciding whether to dial the number.”

The Attorney General’s Office of Victim Services can be reached at (602) 542-4911 in Phoenix or (520) 628-6456 in Tucson.  For residents living outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas,the toll-free number 1-866-742-4911.

The Attorney General’s office is working with the directories where the old toll-free number is listed to remove that number from their lists.