Adult chat line bill - Telebilling

OldGreyFox

Its the old TBS scam.

Have a read of this thread : http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1240095&highlight=telecom+billing+services

Bamber19

Presumably if they are operating in a manner that they believe you can owe them money, over and above what you're mobile company charge you to make the call, just because you phoned them then when they call you you can also claim they owe you some amount of money... they'll surely feel obliged to pay you, since of course, that's how it all works.;)

maninthestreet

Please post the telephone number(s) you called here - this will enable people who may get a text asking them to call this number to find this thread if they search on the internet for it. We can also deluge these people with phone calls from telphone call boxes. That should waste their time as the try to phone a call box to get the address details.

hollydays

Just to update I have now had a text from +447985371487

giving the number 02081142920 to call back-I would just like to let then know that I am not a "naughty boy"....

peter_the_piper

I feel a sketch from "The Life Of Brian" coming on.

gazoakley

Just has a text inviting me to call the same number as the OP :mad:

Heres the text:

"Im home alone in just a skimpy top and bored and need some action Call me on my land line 02032858191 Im ready anytime Zoe :-)

+18only
GFI cs08700669217"

Came from +447786409560

I've deleted the message without calling the number and will be calling O2 to ask them to block further calls from this number. I wonder if they're sending it through a mass SMS gateway (I use one for sending text messages to people who have asked to be sent them when their computers die :rotfl:)

jw1234_2

Pound wrote: »

I received a text message from a number I didn't recognise last week asking me to give them a call on their landline number 02032858191. I figured it was a scam but it wasn't a premium rate number so I called it to see what it was and at what point they asked for money.

Turned out to be an "adult chat line" where it told me a charge for the service and that I could pay with my credit card. After a couple of minutes with messing with the options I hung up and thought nothing more of it.

A few days later I had a call from a woman telling me I had a bill to pay for calling an adult chat service and asked for my postcode. Knowing that I didn't actually use this service or explicitly agree to such a contract I told her what she could do with her bill. She started telling me that they'd trace who I was and pass it onto a debt collection agency. I invited her to do so and she hung up.

After a bit of research on this company it seems to me that the company make money out of people paying up but haven't actually taken anyone to court. The company has also been fined in the past by Ofcom. A month after being threatened with debt collectors I've heard nothing more from them neither by post or phone.

Other discussions on this company:
http://www.grumbletext.co.uk/vt.php?t=371
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/bulletins/comp_bull_index/comp_bull_ccases/closed_all/cw_880/
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1240095

Other numbers (for Googlers): 02081145499, 02081142999, 02032858294, 02081145421, 02081142920, 02032858215, 08700669217, 08700669218, 08704232494.

I have just now received the very same text message on my company mobile
The text of the message is as follows:

"I'm home alone in just a skimpy top bored and need some action
call me on my landline 02032858191 i'm ready anytime Zoe" :cool:

+18 only
GFI cs08700669217


By the way the text message came from a UK number +44 (0) 826798944

gazoakley

Oddly enough the messages are coming from a number registered on Vodafone. I wonder if Vodafone would be happy to hear someone is sending commercial messages that they haven't previously opted into receive of a potentially adult nature...

Does anyone think its time I called Vodafone to put them in the picture? :rotfl:

gazoakley

I'm feeling like an absolute b*****d now :-)

My mobile is registered with the Telephone Preference Service. Oftel takes a dim view on people sending unsolicited commercial text messages:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/Oftel/consumer/advice/faqs/prvfaq8.htm

"[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Although it has not been clear in the past whether SMS text messages are actually 'telephone calls' in the sense that has been traditionally understood, the IC takes the view that SMS text messages should be regarded as telephone calls for the purposes of the Regulations - although they are not explicitly covered by the Telecommunications Data Protection Directive 97/66/EC.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Individual subscribers who do not wish to receive unsolicited SMS text messages for direct marketing purposes can therefore register with the TPS."

[/FONT] Oh, and its also illegal according the TPS themselves. I've certainly never given them my phone number and I'm picky about where I give it out:

http://complaints.tpsonline.org.uk/Consumer/

"New legislation which came into force on 11 December 2003 makes it unlawful to send an unsolicited direct marketing SMS to an individual subscriber unless the recipient has previously given their consent to such communications."

Reckon I have enough proof to give Vodafone that the account holder is engaging in illegal activities?

http://online.vodafone.co.uk/dispatch/Portal/appmanager/vodafone/wrp?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=template09&pageID=PTC_0003

"4.2. Your Mobile Device and/or the Services must not be used for any purpose we believe is abusive, objectionable, illegal, fraudulent, a nuisance or for criminal activities.

I'd say its objectionable, probably illegal and considering it attempts to look like a normal person unless you read the entire message (which is past several blank lines after the message) quite possibly fraudulent.

gazoakley

Its a Vodafone number. Fraud team has been notified :beer:

They've also been notified that people are posting here - so make sure you give as much information as possible :money:

If you get a message from these guys please post the details here. It'd be good to forward them to the appropriate networks - I can tell you the network a number is associated with if you post it. Please add:

Number the message came from
Full content of the message