Internet Autodialers Information

INTERNET AUTO-DIALER VIRUSES WARNING:
Long Distance Charges Can Result From Dialer Viruses

WEB.AM wishes to remind its customers to exercise caution when downloading "adult" content, games, or music videos from entertainment sites on the Internet. Some sites use "dialer" programs to enable you to view their content and these can occasionally disconnect your computer from your regular Internet Service Provider and reconnect to an international number, often without your knowledge, resulting in substantial long distance charges on your phone bill. These dialer programs can also be contracted in the form of a dialer virus through infected email, chat lines and from downloaded file sharing software.

Why and how?

These Web sites may require you to download an application to access certain areas of their site. Once the application is fully downloaded to your system, it states that this application will be establishing a link with a server outside your country and that your phone bill will be charged a certain amount. Also, you may not be informed of the charges when downloading the application, but you are always informed of the charges on your phone bill. There are hundreds of sites of this type, and the application name, rate structure, and layout can differ widely.

Once you have accepted this warning, the application issues a command to your modem to establish a second Internet connection. The modem then dials a telephone number that connects you to a server located outside the country. Since you are still on the Internet, you don't realize that you are no longer connected via your local ISP, but via long distance instead.

Prime targets

The most likely victims of this scam are Internet subscribers with any dial-up connection, regardless of the ISP. Customers of services that offer free Internet access are especially vulnerable. Many ads for such sites can be found on the registration forms of sites that offer free Internet access. Usually, most customers of this type of ISP are beginners, meaning that they are ideal victims because of their technological naivete.

Precautions

Read all software user agreements carefully, especially if downloaded from the Internet.
Block all long distance calls on Your phone line.
Use anti-virus programs to search and remove dialer viruses from your computer.
Check the phone number the modem dials to establish Internet access (dial-up connection). Make sure it is your local ISP number. Many people have had nasty surprises when they found out that their ISP server was in the United States and that every minute they spent surfing the Web was long distance.
Check the number of your Internet dial-up connection regularly.

Your responsibility

Under the terms of the ArmenTel service agreement, customers are responsible for their all calls, no matter by whom.

Consequently, you are responsible for long distance calls made from your residence. Read Internet download instructions carefully to make sure that there are no direct or indirect costs involved. In accepting the warning and the "terms and conditions" of said Web sites, you are accepting any long distance charges that might potentially be associated. When you dial a Web site located in another country, you are dealing with that country.

How to block all long distance calls (at ArmenTel's official web site)