Fifteen-year-old Whitney Lott thought she was "helping someone out" when she agreed to forward a call for a stranger on the phone. The stranger, according to a CBS News report, turned out to be an inmate from Dallas County Jail. He told the girl that he had called her accidentally and, since he only got one phone call, asked if she could forward the call to his mother -- by dialing *72.

The innocent move ended up costing Lott's parents $160, but it could have cost them hundreds, or even thousands, more.

Pressing *72 or 72# activates a call forwarding feature on phones. Every call made to your number from then on will be forwarded to a pay phone or other involved third party. However, you are responsible for the charges incurred because the calls are being forwarded from your number.

This scam has been going on around the country and involves not only inmates but also everyday con artists. According to the CBS News report, "The problem is rampant. In Florida, at least two inmates racked up more than $50,000 worth of collect calls to more than a hundred families."

How the *72 Scam Works

As described by AT&T, the *72 scam works like this:

"Star-7-2 is a custom feature for call forwarding. When the customer dials *72 followed by a telephone number, it activates the call forwarding feature causing all your incoming calls to ring at another number.

At the end of the other line -- whether calls have been forwarded to a landline, a cell phone or a payphone -- the original caller's partner-in-crime is able to accept all collect and third-party calls, while telling your own legitimate callers that they have the wrong number. You get billed for all calls made because your number is the one from which they are forwarded."

Scammers use the following scenarios most often as they try to play to the sympathies of their victim:

• 
  
  An inmate calling and saying he or she needs you to call their mother for them (they called you "accidentally" and say they can't make another call).
• 
  
  An inmate calling and saying he was arrested for a minor traffic ticket and needs to call a relative to pick up his children from the police station (again, calling you "accidentally).
• 
  
  Someone calling and pretending to be a phone-company technician who needs to check your phone line for a problem. In order to receive "remote access," they ask the victim to input a code of *72 or 72#.
• 
  
  A person calling and impersonating a police officer, telling the victim that a close friend has been injured in an auto accident. In order to find out more information, the con artist says, the victim must call another officer by pressing *72 followed by another phone number.
• 
  
  A person calling from a payphone and saying they don't have the additional change needed to make an emergency call, then asking you to forward their call.
• 
  
  "Usually, these con artists are not targeting specific people; they're just hoping to find a sympathetic ear," said Arkansas Attorney General Mike Beebe, who has issued a consumer alert in his state to warn the public about this increasingly common scam.

• 
  
  *72
• 
  
  72#
• 
  
  90# (for certain small business phone systems)