Beware of cell phones frauds

Many of the major cell-phone carriers hold consumers responsible for all calls made on their phone until the phone is reported missing or stolen. Although some say they review fraud claims individually, several carriers have policies stipulating that consumers are on the hook for all charges -- fraudulent or not -- until phone service is suspended. The Federal Communications Commission reports that in 2006, about one-third of the roughly 20,000 complaints about wireless service had to do with disputes about billing and rates, of which complaints about fraudulent charges make up an unspecified part. There are ways consumers can protect themselves from cell-phone fraud. For example, it's possible to put a password guard on a cell phone, so that turning it on requires a secret code. Also, if you don't typically use your phone to make international calls -- which can quickly, ring up to hundreds of dollars in charges -- you can ask your carrier to block outgoing international calls. Cell-phone companies stress that notifying them that a phone is missing is key to preventing or minimizing fraud.