State officials are warning Oregonians about telephone and Internet scams that have targeted residents.

The scams often involve misleading a person to call a number with an «international pay-per-call area code,» which often results in steep phone bills, Attorney General Hardy Myers said.

The calls have gone to countries such as Madagascar and Tuvalu.

Internet users also have been targeted, Myers said. Some Web sites claim to offer free adult content so long as the user downloads a «viewer or dialer» program, which then disconnects the Internet line and dials the international long-distance number.

Some Internet users have reported pop-ups that are impossible to close, and they are unable to stop the dialing of a pay-per-call number or adult Web site.

Myers urged Oregonians to be cautious about the Web sites they visit and to never dial an unfamiliar area code without verifying it.

Pay-per-call area codes include the following numbers: 809, 242, 246, 264, 268, 284, 345, 441, 473, 664, 758, 767, 784, 787, 868, 869 and 876.