If you normally pay for something and then find it for free on the Internet, you most likely have found an Internet scam. Remember that the only thing that is free on the Internet is software.

And software is often part of the scam.

AT&T issued a consumer alert in April about the latest Internet scam. The scam worked as follows: specific adult-oriented web sites promised visitors that they can view "adult'' images for free by downloading a special image viewer.

But, installing the free viewer needed to access the "free'' pictures can lead to steep international phone charges.

This latest Internet scam has hit some residents in Bermuda.

BTC has received complaints from consumers who have found themselves with unexpected long-distance charges to countries they may have never heard of.

The unanticipated long distance charges appear because certain porn sites located overseas will disconnect your modem and dial an international phone number, thus establishing a long-distance call that is charged to your phone bill.

These web sites advertise free pornographic pictures that the user can view or download, but the user must download a special "viewer'' to access the %free% pictures. (Usually, adult-oriented web sites require users to enter a credit card number before they can view pictures.) The unsuspecting user downloads the special "viewer'' and installs it to view the free pictures. What he doesn't know is that the "viewer'' program has turned off the speaker in his modem, disconnected him from his regular Internet service provider and reconnected him to a provider in some Third World country where long-distance charges can be as much as $25 per minute.

Although the sites have a disclaimer, and a user must click in a box that says "I agree'' to access the site, AT&T reported that a number of consumers were surprised when they got their phone bills and saw the charges. "If you don't read the disclaimer carefully, you could certainly pass over the fact that you will be charged for an international call and go ahead and go into that site,'' said an AT&T spokesman.

Because the user's modem has called an international phone number, the long distance charges continue to accrue even when the user leaves the adult-oriented site and goes on to other legitimate web sites. The user must log off -- disconnect his modem connection (hang up) -- to stop the international phone charges. The next time that a user logs on, his modem dials his local ISP, so the user is not aware that his modem has dialled an international phone number. The excessive long-distance charges appear on the next phone bill, to users' surprise and dismay.

Adult-oriented sites that reconnect a user's modem are located in Chad, Moldova, and Sierra Leone. Experts say some countries, especially those with nationally owned telephone companies, encourage any enterprise that generates a high volume of incoming calls to the country.

All long-distance carriers must pay settlement fees to any other local phone companies when they deliver a call. Some government-owned phone companies count on these fees. The adult-oriented web sites earn money when they are paid a portion of the revenues received by their country's telephone company.

The long-distance carrier is not responsible for charges incurred by the consumers in these incidents because the calls were actually made.

There are several things you can do to protect yourself from this scam: 1. Read all the disclaimers before you click the "I Agree'' button.

2. Only download software from reputable sites such as software companies like Adobe, Macromedia and Microsoft. A safe local source of shareware (free software) is: http:/tucows.bermuda.bm/ 3. BTC can block direct international calls from your modem phone line. If BTC puts an international block on your phone line, you must first call the operator to connect your international phone calls.

4. You can purchase Internet filters if you wish to block pornographic sites from your personal computer.

5. Be suspicious of anything that is "free'', and remember that there are no free lunches on line or anywhere else.