Be suspicious of any email/internet story that claims to be "checked out by Snopes." Here is the link to the Snopes investigation of this story. There is enough to worry about in life without adding to our paranoia.
http://www.snopes.com/fraud/telephone/jailcall.asp
90# on your telephone
I dialed '0', to check this out, asked the operator, who confirmed that this was correct so please pass it on . .. . (l also checked out Snopes.com. This is true, and also applies to cell phones!)
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 acces s to yo ur 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 also said it was true, so do not dial 90# for anyone !!!!!