Strange phonecall/number- is this a scam

dondo · 6 May 2005 at 11:06AM

Hi all

Dunno if any of you lot have had this but my mobile rang last night but didn't answer in time so had a 'missed call'

Not a number I regonised but looked like any ordinary mobile number as it started with 07 (07011 to be precise) so I decided to call back as have been waiting for couple of calls potentially from nos I didn't know

So it rang but with a bit of a different ring tone (bit like one when you phone abroad) and eventually a voice came on saying "thanks for phoning, the person you are wanting isn't here right now so we are going to try another location", more ringinging then".....we'll try one final location" then ".....we cannot locate them so please leave a message and someone will get back to you"

Didn't leave message though and probably should of rung off sooner

Is this some scam to get me to phone some high rate number?

Any help/advice appreciated

Cheers

D

Galtizz · 6 May 2005 at 11:13AM

Yes, it sounds like a a scam thats been going around for a while now, the phone doesn't actually ring long enough for you to answer it so shows as a missed call. Don't phone them back, it's a premium rate number.

Freebie_Hunter_2 · 7 May 2005 at 12:29AM

Galtizz wrote:

Yes, it sounds like a a scam thats been going around for a while now, the phone doesn't actually ring long enough for you to answer it so shows as a missed call. Don't phone them back, it's a premium rate number.

Nah it's not. I had exatly the same so I phoned it back and checked my phone bill the next month. Didn't cost me any more than a normal call!

Sofa_Sogood · 7 May 2005 at 12:34AM

I got one earlier that began with 0777

As only two people have the number I didn't respond, so I asked my other half to but asked him not to stay on the phone long just in case. Ten seconds later it was established it was just a wrong number.

I should have asked if they wanted to sell the number now I've thought about it

andy88_2 · 7 May 2005 at 1:23PM

It's a personal number service that diverts on to somewhere else. Some cost about the same as calling a mobile; some up to ~ 50p per minute

andi428 · 7 May 2005 at 1:47PM

Sofa_Sogood wrote:

I got one earlier that began with 0777

As only two people have the number I didn't respond, so I asked my other half to but asked him not to stay on the phone long just in case. Ten seconds later it was established it was just a wrong number.

I should have asked if they wanted to sell the number now I've thought about it

whats so special about the number? mine starts 0777 should i be selling on ebay??

Mister.G_3 · 7 May 2005 at 2:06PM

It's just a standard no. range (possibly on vodafone) and unless the last 6 digits are good as well (consecutive, memorable no's etc) it'll fetch no more than the price of a sim card i wouldn't have thought.

andi428 · 7 May 2005 at 2:16PM

Mister.G wrote:

It's just a standard no. range (possibly on vodafone) and unless the last 6 digits are good as well (consecutive, memorable no's etc) it'll fetch no more than the price of a sim card i wouldn't have thought.

aww shucks! thought was on to something there.

Sofa_Sogood · 7 May 2005 at 2:19PM

andi428 wrote:

aww shucks! thought was on to something there.

Sorry about that. I'll have to remember it's the last digits that count

andy88_2 · 7 May 2005 at 3:32PM

By strange coincidence after commenting, I've just been rung by an 07011 number like this. I heard it in the other room - just one ring. I called back and did the same to see if it would be provoked to try again so I could answer.

As I said, this range is supposed to be personal number services. Clearly this case is abuse of people that will call back. The rate from BT for this particular number is 47.5p; I would imagine it even higher from a mobile. It is odd that this number is sent as an outgoing number when it would not originate calls; perhaps it is spoofed which may even be illegal.

I shall discuss it with Ofcom and whoever they recommend on Monday. I think ICSTIS controls the issue of 09 premium rate numbers, but don't know whether this comes into their field as well.

andy88_2 · 29 May 2005 at 3:43AM

andy88 wrote:

I shall discuss it with Ofcom and whoever they recommend on Monday. I think ICSTIS controls the issue of 09 premium rate numbers, but don't know whether this comes into their field as well.

I didn't get round to this then, but there is now a reoccurrence of this on another thread and I've emailed Ofcom as described there.

The provider of these numbers is associated with 19 operators that have been fined or wound up for abuse.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=58542

Strange phonecall/number- is this a scam

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