773-847 is the exchange for the Cook County Jail (and criminal court).

*72 is the code for Call Forwarding, not a phone number.

We keep receiving calls from 773-847-9032, and 773-847-9231, 773-847-8170, 773-890-9495, 773-847-9428. All have the caller id label of "PRISON". The automated message is in Spanish (I don't speak Spanish) and at some point English is hastily inserted,  "This is an emergency contact number. For English, press zero and hold."

We are on the no contact list as someone has suggested. Any ideas how to stop these annoying calls?

I had a similar situation... emergency next of kin in an accident and I needed to call a sargeant Miller at *72 1312 217 8527.  I was so worried that someone was hurt that I didn't even take the time to think.  when I questioned the "officer" as to why I would call * first he said "it is dialing a satelight phone" and I fell for the scam!  AT&T is closed (of course) so it took me 2 hours to figure out there was a problem.  I called my local sherriff and they came out to check on me because I was scared of what was going on... no phone calls could go out or in.  I hope AT&T is helpful tomorrow morning when I call!  Does anyone know if there has been any prosecution or if AT&T helps with the charges??

Received an AT&T collect call, supposedly from Cook County, IL jail.  When the automated voice paused for the actual person to state his name, the person said "Emergency Fire Department, Press zero now!" and I was worried it might be a relative in danger, so I did.  Then the person said there was an emergency and he was only the dispatcher so I had to call a number that he gave me for an on-the-scene officer (it a was weird # - not like a regular phone number).  And he said he would call me back. But when I dialed the number it didn't work.  When he called back, I again accepted that charges, and told him the # didn't work.  Then he swore at me and hungh up.

Received 5 calls within a 15 minute period all from area code(773): 650-9858, 247-9896, 650-9800,650-9820,and 890-9507.  Caller ID was 'PRISON'.  One call answered had at&t recording then hung up.  One call was in spanish.  Just hung up both times. Finally took the phone off the hook.  I figured a real prison would have the institutions name so not sure what it was all about - probably a scam of some sort.

Received calls x3 within 5 minutes of each. 773-847-9481, 773-523-9736, and 773-847-9032. Spanish voice, then English saying Emergency call, dial 0, then another language again. Scam to forward your phone number. Don't press *72! It allows them to use your number to make calls. I called Cook County Corrections in Chicago and they blocked my number from their trunk lines. Your number is picked randomly.

me too... Got 3 calls in a row. The first time I just figured it was legit,   but as I don't know anyone in jail, I figured they mistyped. The second time, I listened more - far as I can tell, it sounded like it was a statement indicating you were receiving a call from a inmate, and then the recorded portion told me that "this is the police, please press 0 and hold". I figured it was some kind of reroute to a 900 number and "hold" scam, so I hung up. Third time, I checked online. Slick scam.

Received a call from 1-877-847-9658 identified as PRISON.  Recording--Spanish speaking male--then indicated in english to press 0.  A male came on the line and said a family member had been in an accident in Charleston--that I was to call *72 1 773 855 9896.  When I called, no one answered.  I then became suspicious and checked the internet, and found out about this scam.  My phone was transferred to another number.  I called the phone company and was told to *73 to disconnect the transfer. The following numbers called afterwards, all identified as PRISON:  1-773-847-9528; 1-773-847-9380; and 1-773-847-8950.  I called AT&T, the service provider for the numbers, indicated they were unable to help me.  I called the number minus the *72 and a male answered and quickly hung up.



















*

We received phone calls in Spanish at 4:00 am on March 24.  I don't understand Spanish but I could make out AT & T.  I hung up the phone and they called right back.  I checked the caller ID and it showed "prison".  They called back a third time and I let it go to my answering machine.  I took my phone off the hook after that.  I figured that it was some scam as I work for the federal government and see warnings all the time.  Glad to know about other people getting these calls.

Three calls from 773-847-9600, 773-847-9997, 773-523-9814.  After you wait thru some sort of instructions in several languages, especially Spanish, you get a fast-talking guy with a Spanish accent who claims that someone has been badly hurt and you are instructed to call back to his "Lieutenant" who has all the details.  The guy you are talking to "can't give out any details" and the Lieutenant is "downstairs and can't come to the phone" which is why you have to call him back.

Told the guy it sounded like bulls..t and hung up before getting the instructions, but I'll bet it would have involved a star-72 followed by some other number that would forward my number to their control.

They called back twice more in quick succession with slightly different numbers but all with "PRISON" in the caller ID.

Guess Ill try to end a note to Attorney General but if they treat this like they do the Internet scams I've griped about that spoof my eMail address, well....

My research indicates this is a private company in Chicago Ill.  Using an automated dialer to get folks to forward their phone to a Mexican number.  Then people can call collect using your number, since it is forwarded the call rings in Mexico and they accept the charges.    The company is non-published.  My guess is they are using a T-1 Line with multiple DID's which is why you cannot call the caller ID number back because it won't accept incoming calls.   Report it enough and the Attny general can subpeona ATT and find out who is behind it as ATT has records on the billing account.

I too am receiving these calls.  I worked for a phone company for 10 years.  The prisoners calling is not possible as this is an automated machine, meanign there is equipment that a prisoner does not have.  I have filed complaints with the Illonois Attny. Gen's office.  The Nebraska Attny Gen office as well as with the Nebraska Public Service commission.  ATT provides the service to whoever is doing this, and can stop this from happening by shutting down their service as well as providing law enforcement information surrounding who owns these lines.  They are not following telemarketing laws about times of calls and use of automated machines, plus the phone company is allowing the caller to use PRISON as thier ID, which can be changed by ATT.  Subsequently, if the calls are coming from an actual Jail or Prison, they would say the name of the instituion.   LIke COOK COUNTY or something to that affect.  I suspect the information we have gleaned is correct in that any time you dial a * on your phone prior to numbers, you are enacting a feature, such as the call forward feature with the 71 following the star.  BUt they may be wrong about where the calls are coming from.   Too bad someone doesn't have an insider to ATT who could cheat and look up the number and see who is getting billed for the service, they could then find out the name and address of the company using these lines.  I will add more once I hear back from the offices I contacted.  You should all contact these offices and complain, the Illonois ATttny General, your Attny General and if you have on a Publice Service Commission.

I received the same calls.  I thought it was odd that it was in Spanish and just thought they had the wrong number.  After receiving calls from 4 seperate 773 area codes I googled to see where the area code was for.  After I found out it was Chicago I decided to google 773 area code Prison and found all this very helpful information.  Thank you SO much!  I might have called if it had not been in Spanish.

DO NOT ANSWER THESE CALLS.  I answered and it was the spanish speaking stuff so I pressed 0 to try an get an operator.  They said that someone was in a wreck and I was their emergency contact number.  They gave me a number to call a "police officer on scene".  Well it turns out that when I called that number, my phone calls were being forwarded to someone else.  I called my own house and a voice I didn't recognize answered.  When I asked how they got my number, they hung up.  I called the phone company and they said that inmates will forward someone's phone number to a person they want to talk to and call it so that person they are calling doesn't get charged for accepting the prison call.

Got a bunch of calls from this ID.  For around 2 hours so far.  From 830 to 1030 am.  Another person answered the phoned at first didnt do anything about it.  Got another call saying so and so is a cop and there was an accident.  To call this number which is *73 xxx xxx xxxx and he did.  Then they kept calling on line 2 and on line one when you called it it rang once at the house and then went to another number.  Called att and told us they were getting alot of this.  It is a scam do not answer and never dail *73 ever.  This person took over line one and to get it back you just press *72.  If this happeneds to you call your phone company also so they can make a report and not charge you for the calls that were made on your number.

I have been getting calls for a week from what my caller ID says PRISON
773-847-8908.
I answer and its all spanish so i kept hanging up ,well after 3 am and it waking my 3 yr old i listened to the whole messageand finally heard the words AT&T press O.So i did ,but all it did was tie up my phone line for a few min...The telephone company EMBARQ told me its a scam and they can get a outisde line so I have to wach my bill and call them bad in 48 hours to see if any calls were made through them UGGG...Dont you think they could put a WARNING in the bill that we could be award of this ...

I contacted SBC at 800-984-8800 which is an automated response line.  If calls have not been received within the past 30 days, you are advised to CONTACT THE PRISON and find out who provides service and, in turn, contact the service provider to request a block on your telephone number.  SBC IS WORSE THAN THE PRISON INMATES.  SBC is the service provider for the following numbers:

773-847-8765
773-650-9833
773-847-9038
773-650-9812
773-523-9736

and, yet, will not block calls if not received within the past 30 days.

WHAT A SCAM - SBC SUCKS.

I tried calling the 800 number listed here and after entering the 2 numbers I've received calls from they are telling me that there has been no activity to my number, although my caller ID says otherwise.

I received a collect call from "Prison" last night at 1:00am. I did not recognize the name of the person the collect call was for and hung up. I have now found this website and am relieved that a loved one of mine on is not in prison, and upset to find out that I was being scammed.

I got a call today and the ID said "PRISON". I picked it up and it was a "AT &T customer survey" voice mail. The number is 773-847-8240.

I just received 5 phone calls from various prison phone numbers this evening around 8:30 PM CST.  All of them came from a 773 area code which is in Cook County so I assume it is from the Cook County Jail.  It sounded like an automated message in English and Spanish.  Here are the origination phone numbers:

773-847-8765
773-650-9833
773-847-9038
773-650-9812
773-523-9736

After speaking to a Chicago Police Officer, I learned that this is a jail telephone scam and advised me to not answer the phone or follow the instruction that was requested in the automated message.

Below is the warning message that was posted on the Cook County Sheriff website on April 9, 2007 in regards to this jail telephone scam.

Monday, April 09, 2007 ? Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart is warning citizens throughout the Chicago area to beware of Cook County Jail inmates who may be using jail pay phones to scam unwitting victims.

The Sheriff?s Office issued the warning after receiving several complaints from citizens who have reported receiving collect calls from jail inmates who attempt to "hi-jack" the telephone numbers of their victims by posing as police officers stationed at the jail.

"Anyone receiving a collect call from Cook County Jail is cautioned not to accept the call unless they are sure someone they know is trying to contact them," Dart stated. "If a citizen does accept a call and the inmate attempts to get personal information or urges you to call another phone number, you should hang up immediately and report the incident to the authorities."

The Sheriff's Office is currently investigating a scam in which inmates try to get unwitting victims to forward their phone numbers to a third party, which allows the inmate to charge subsequent collect calls to the victim?s account.

According to investigators, the inmates conducting the scam call random numbers collect and pose as police officers stationed at the jail. They then tell the individual who answers the telephone that a member of their family has been in an accident and in order to get more information the victim must dial a series of numbers for more details. If the victim calls the number as instructed, they will transfer their telephone number to a call-forwarding service, which enables the inmate to charge the victim?s phone account with future collect calls.

Nearly all inmates at Cook County Jail are held on a pretrial basis and have not yet been convicted of a crime. Because of their pretrial status, the inmates are legally permitted to make collect telephone calls.

Anyone receiving harassing telephone calls from Cook County Jail can contact SBC at 1-800-984-8800 and request a block on their telephone number that will prevent calls from the pay phones located inside Cook County Jail.

I keep getting calls from a prison also. When i answered it was spanish so i hung up. They called back at 9:03,9:10, 9:13, 9:14 and 9:37. All in which i was trying to talk to my mother on the phone. Talk about frustrating! The number i have is 773-890-9784. Some one should Cut the peoples ears off when they catch these idiots.

I had 5 calls from various prison #'s this morning, all as described above in Spanish. I tried calling Embarq but their hold time was 9 minutes! What can be done to stop this>

Tonight (Nov. 23) I recieved phone calls that showed up as prison on my caller ID. When I answered it was in spanish so i hung up. They called back several times and so I finally listened to the whole thing and it said press zero for english and I did. Soon a man who spoke english came on the phone and told me that he was an emergency dispatch for the area 2 police and that there was a terrible car accident involving a young girl and they found my number in the girls cell phone and that I needed to call another number (*72-773-824-7599)and talk to the officer at the crime scene and identify this girl. I was so scared I called the number and it didn't go through. I called the police who were of no help at all and then called At&t and figured out that this was all a scam and they are actually inmates at a prison calling our numbers and by dialing that *72 it somehow forewards all your calls somewhere else and they can use your line. At&t took care of it and cancelled the foreward calls. I know this is a long story but beware!

I just got the same phone call I.D "Prison"(773)847-8994 9:30 am.E.S.T Nov 12,2007 I bet its a Marketing survey I just bet.Because,I once Joined InboxDollars.com and was taking survey that never paid a dime keep in mind!
Once I did a survey about School Questions After the survey was done 5 min- later I get a call from a school asking me if I would like to look further.
I said no then hungup!Then I looked up that 1-888 number it was a telemarketer.
Beleive me when you sign up for something/Anything online Your information you give they say they wont give it out but,They Do!{Privacy Act:}.
If your not get on the no call list!

Rose, this is exactly what is happening in our house.  Today we got phone calls from the following numbers that showed upon our Caller ID:  773-650-9816, 773-650-9874, 773-847-8994, 773-523-9697, 773-847-9235, 773-650-9859, 773-523-9724.  I wish someone would say how we stop this!  I called AT&T but they couldn't give me any info.  Said if the calls were harassing to call the police, but I doubt the police would do anything.  All calls registered as "Prison". They scared my elderly mother since she answered most of the calls.

Lately I'v been gettng annoying/ Harassing calls every day From the caller ID name saids PRISON. When I say Hello, they start talking in En espanol. I say over in over I can't speak spanish. I'll hang up the telephone and they PRISON would call right back the same day and two or three times the next day. Each time they called using a different number. I'm going to Wal-mart and buy me a Big Horn and let them annoying caller talk to that.
I kept Track of all the Numbers they used: 1-773-847-9422, 773-890-9510, 773-650-9858, 773-890-9825, 773-523-9814, 773-890-9497, 773-650-9816, 773-650-9868.