Christmas 2008: International Parcel Deliveries Scam

wantmemoney

Austria +43820 ******
Sierra Leone +2322227****

you can check the Austrian numbers here:
http://www.rtr.at/

These numbers are being used as a revenue share premium rate billing mechanism and the calls may not terminate in those countries.
In previous cases where international premium rate numbers have been used the numbers were 'short stopped' in London to maximize revenue share for the companies involved in the fraud.

many people are receiving text messages

Text message - "URGENT! A large parcel is awaiting delivery, please call +43820****** [or +2322227****] for delivery tomorrow. From International Parcel Deliveries"

they are also appearing as missed calls on mobiles.

the International Regulator
http://www.iarn.org/
the Austrian Regulator
http://www.rtr.at/
the UK Regulator
http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/

The Austrian 0820 numbers are similar to UK 0871 numbers. They are revenue share and belong to blocks owned by:

(0)820 990800 to (0820 990999
Telekom Austria TA Aktiengesellschaft
and
(0)820 899500 to (0)820 899599
atms Telefon- und Marketing Services GmbH

There are probably many more. These revenue share numbers are then leased on to other companies.

from 17/10/08 the numbers are given to
Ambervox AG
CH, 6303 Zug, Charmerstr. 79

Ambervox is really Ambavox
Charmerstr is really Chamerstrasse

and

from 12.09.2008 the numbers are given to:
Maxtis s.r.o.
CZ-12000, Prague, Kralodvorska 16
...............................
Maxtis also supplies Sierra Leone numbers to use for billing 'premium rate services'
http://www.maxtis.com/index.php?lang=en&mod=products
Sierra Leone +232 222 720 70
..........................................
There are probably many more.

The above companies will use the International Standard Premium Rate excuse that it's not them responsible it's their clients who are using their 'revenue share' numbers.
This years scam is being operated on a massive scale and raking in millions for the fraudsters and again our National and European Regulators have failed to protect the public from the Industry they 'regulate'. Again they have refused to involve the National police forces of the countries involved

LMck111

I've recently received the, "Urgent" you have a large parcel awaiting deliverey, scam text. .....It so happens, as is this time of year, I am waiting for a large parcel...:beer:

As a "I DO NOT RING ANYONE I DONT KNOW REGARDLESS" merchant. I was never going to be suckered in.

After reading into the message a little more I couldn't have replied to the number they text me.
It doesn't give a country dialing code.....!:huh:

Hmmmmmmmmmm...........Newbie scammers........OK, we all agree there scum of the earth.....But come on.....if you're going to try and make a scam work it needs to be foolproof.
Who is going to go through all the countries of the world dialling codes until they by chance make a connection.
Sort of limited their market a tad......!

FOOLS....long may they send out this text..........hurrah....You've mugged yourselves. It costs to send texts in some way. With no chance of recouping...!:T

wantmemoney

43820990914 - who calls me?
I was waiting for a Parcel - then I received the following text message "!!URGENT!! Large Parcel Awaiting Delivery. Please Call NOW on +43820990914". Searched for the number on Google and found your site saying that it is probably a Scam. So thank you to everyone who use's this site!

this was one of the many thousand text messages that contain the Austrian and Sierra Leone premium rate numbers. Athough they are 'international' they can be used to bill for premium rate services in any country and are revenue share.

RTR*-*Rufnummernsuche

Ihre Suche nach der Rufnummer "0820990914" ergab folgendes Ergebnis.

• (0)820 990800 bis (0)820 990999
  Telekom Austria TA Aktiengesellschaft
• seit 17.10.2008
• Ambervox AG..................................should be Ambavox
  CH, 6303 Zug, Charmerstr. 79............should be Chamerstrasse

So Ambavox is the scammer or they have supplied the 0280 number on to the scammer.

PhonepayPlus
26 November 2008
EMERGENCY PROCEDURE INVESTIGATION INTO AMBAVOX AG

PhonepayPlus, the phone-paid services regulator, has launched an investigation following seven complaints from members of the public, all of whom have South East London addresses. Having contacted the network operator through whose network the service operates, PhonepayPlus considers the service provider responsible under the PhonepayPlus Code of Practice to be ‘Ambavox AG.' The complaints relate to a parcel delivery mailing which encourages recipients to call a premium rate number to re-arrange what the promotion states was a ‘missed delivery.'.......................
.....................

Next steps
We have written to both Atlas Interactive Group, the Network Operator, and Ambavox AG, the Service Provider, setting out our concerns.

so it looks like Ambavox are also using 'revenue share' premium rate numbers supplied by Atlas :doh:on 'missed delivery' mail cards