Chicago man shocked by a $24K cellphone bill. Here’s how to avoid international charges

Amir Yass, shown at his barber shop, Hair Mechanic in Wicker Park, racked up $23,686 in cellphone charges on a trip abroad, even though he proactively sought an international calling plan. (Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times)

Amir Yass was visiting family in Iraq, secure in the knowledge that his cellphone — vital for his Wicker Park barber shop business — had a $10-a-day international travel plan.

So several days into the trip, when his and his wife’s phones suddenly stopped working, Yass was annoyed. His phone was how he booked clients, and no phone meant less income.