How the scam works:

You receive a text message inviting you to download a new ringtone (fashionable song or a tone tailored to new world events, such as a famous quote or sound).

Alternatively, you might be asked to call a 1-800 number to get the tone. That will require a credit card and not only will you pay for the ringtone, but you will start being silently charged a high fee every month, as membership. By giving them your credit card number you verbally accepted the enrollment.

How to avoid:

Unless you know who the provider of the ringtone is and how much it costs, never download the file because you might end up accumulating a $22 charge on your next phone bill. Always download ringtones from reputable companies. Some of the most trustworthy and quality content databases out there are Funtonia (with over a million ringtones out there) and FlyCel.

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