Is it true that you shouldn't press 90# on your telephone?

[hopein08]

I was forwarded this email by my grandfather. I don't know if it sounds right and I'm not very good with snopes.com and sites like that so I thought I'd ask here.

90# on your telephone

I dialed ' 0 ' and asked the operator who did confirm that this was
correct so please pass it on.

PASS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW

I received a telephone call last evening from an individual identifying himself as an AT&T Service technician (could also be Telus) who was conducting a test on the telephone lines. He stated that to complete the test I should touch
nine( 9 ), zero( 0 ), the pound sign ( # ), and then hang up.

Luckily, I was suspicious and refused.
Upon contacting the telephone company, I was informed that by
pushing 90#, you give the requesting individual full access to
your telephone line, which enables them to place long distance calls
billed to your home phone number.

I was further informed that this scam has been originating from
many local jails/prisons




DO NOT press 90# for ANYONE !!
The GTE Security Department requested that I share this
information with EVERYONE I KNOW.

After checking with Verizon they said it was true, so do not
dial 90# for anyone!!!!!


PLEASE HIT THAT FORWARD BUTTON AND PASS THIS
ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW

[ScreamingMeemie]

1. Apparently not on residential lines it can't...

http://www.snopes.com/fraud/telephone/jailcall.asp It can on business lines though.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Snopes is your friend.

http://www.snopes.com/fraud/telephone/jailcall.asp

The only way this scam could possibly work is if you are on a certain kind of pbx system where you have to dial 9 to call out. It would not work on a home phone.

[Richardo]

3. I find that e-mails that say FORWARD THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW

...are inevitably wrong.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. Yes. I always check Snopes when I get them,

and then reply to the whole mailing list with the appropriate debunking. I've never seen one of those that wasn't either totally or at least substantially wrong.