Child Abuse Hotline Hijacked by Sex Line

Consumer Alert: Sex Line Hijacks Number for Child Abuse Hotline

Since 1984, the National Council on Child Abuse and Family Violence (NCCAFV) has provided a toll-free National Family Violence Helpline, 800-222-2000. This phone number no longer reaches the NCCAFV hotline, instead connecting callers with services provided by Pilgrim Telephone. When the number is called from a business or residence phone, it may announce:

Thank you for choosing Pilgrim Telephone. This service costs between 50 cents per minute and $1.99 per minute depending on the method of payment you choose. Pilgrim services follow this message.

When called from a pay phone, it refers callers to a number in area code 784, without mentioning that this is a call to St. Vincent, for which international long distance charges apply. (Read more about international telesleaze prefixes.) According to additional information from Pilgrim Telephone, they will bill charges on some toll-free numbers to the telephone number used to make the call, an apparent violation of the pay-per-call regulations.