Telephone Scam - BEWARE

rushnowt

This is an email I have just received from a friend at BT.

although unconfirmed I felt it was worrying enough to bring it to your attention.

Subject: Fwd: Fw: Telephone Fraud - This is serious We have been advised
> of a telephone fraud currently in

operation (this applies to home and/or work telephones - land lines and
> mobiles):  If you do receive one of these calls, upon answering the
> telephone, you will hear a recorded message congratulating you on winning
> an all expenses  trip  to an exotic location. You will then be asked to
> press 9 to hear further details. If you press 9 you will be connected to a
> premium rate line that costs approximately £20 per minute. Even if you
> disconnect immediately, it will remain connected for a minimum of 5
> minutes, costing around £100. The final part of the call involves you
> being asked to key your postcode and house number (which has other serious
> consequences). After a further 2 minutes you will receive a message
> informing you that you are not one of the lucky winners. The total bill
> will be £260.  Since the calls are originating from outside the UK, BT and
> other telephone companies are left relatively powerless to act. The only
> safe solution is to HANG UP before the message prompts you to press 9;
> even safer is to HANG UP on any unsolicited 'free offer' call. This
> appears to be a variation on a theme, warnings have been sent previously
> regarding calls made by individuals claiming to be engineers conducting a
> test on the line and asking for 9, 0# and text messages similar to the
> routine described above. DO NOT DIAL 9 (OR 9,0# OR 0,9#) FOR ANYONE! BT
> has been contacted and confirmed the details as being true.
>
>  
>
>  There is another scam operating on Mobile Phones.  A Missed Call comes
> up. The number is 0709 020 3840. The last four numbers may vary but
> certainly the first four numbers will remain the same. If you call this
> number back, you will be charged £50 per minute.  People have complained
> about their phone bills, once they have realised
>
> the cost of the call but apparently this is completely legal. So beware,
> do not call back numbers beginning with 0709.
>
>  
>
> Please pass this information on to your family and friends
>

derrick

According to a representative of ICSTIS, on a radio programme yesterday,the dial 9 to connect you to a premium rate call is nonsense and cannot happen it is just a myth.
If anyone wants to confirm one way or the other maybe they should phone ICSTIS 0800 500212 to get the "right" info.
or B.T. on 150 for there technical advise.

rushnowt

I have just called BT and spoken to Claire Davies, it was confirmed to me that the information above is completely correct.

PTLD

i received calls to 2 diff home phone numbers.....

thankfully just put phone down to cut the call!

it was left on BT 1571 service

thefirs

Take your pick from any of the explanations listed at http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=%22%C2%A320+per+minute%22+hoax&btnG=Google+Search&meta=cr%3DcountryUK%7CcountryGB

derrick

From the ICSTIS web site

Welcome to Latest News, the page giving you all that's new at ICSTIS.

UPDATED: THURSDAY 9 DECEMBER 2004

ICSTIS ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO ITS GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTS

ICSTIS has today announced changes to its governance arrangements following its Goverance Review and publication of Ofcom's Report on premium rate services regulation.

ICSTIS TO GET GREATER POWERS TO TACKLE UNSCRUPULOUS FIRMS

ICSTIS is to get greater powers to help it tackle those in the premium rate industry who deliberately set out to rip off consumers. The new powers have been recommended by communications regulator Ofcom.

Full details can be found in our Press Release.

£20 PER MINUTE AND £50 PER MINUTE TELEPHONE 'SCAMS' - URBAN MYTHS

Over the last few days, ICSTIS has received dozens of enquiries about the above 'scams', which are being widely publicised by e-mail. To help us put an end to the current spate of enquiries, please pass this information on to all contacts.

In the first case, the apparent 'deception' takes place when people receive a recorded message informing them that they have won an all-expenses paid holiday and are asked to press 9 to hear further details. It is then claimed that callers are connected to a £20.00 per minute premium rate line that will still charge them for a minimum of five minutes even if they disconnect immediately. It is also claimed that, if callers stay connected, the entire message costs £260.00.

In the second case, the apparent 'deception' takes place when people receive a missed call from a number beginning 0709. It is then claimed that, if callers dial this number, they are connected to a £50.00 per minute premium rate line.

Please note that these stories are NOT true.

£20.00 per minute and £50.00 per minute premium rate tariffs do not exist - the highest premium rate tariff available is £1.50 per minute. Despite the dozens of enquiries received by ICSTIS about these 'scams' (and most people appear to have heard about them second or third-hand), not one person who claims that it has actually happened to them has been able to produce a phone bill to support their story.

ICSTIS urges any individual or organisation that receives an e-mail about these 'scams' to delete it immediately. Please do NOT forward it to others.

LATEST

rushnowt

Derrick i dont know whats true and whats not, all i know is what BT have just told me, i have tried to get any info on it from ICSTIS but infortunately i have been told that there is no one available at present to answer my query, however i was asked for my name and who i was calling on behalf of.

i have not posted this here to start a running battle on who may be right and who may be wrong, my only concern is to not allow people i have become friends with on here to get ripped off, if anyone has a problem with my posting of this information i will gladly remove it.

derrick

I am also not wanting to argue,but my first post was in relation to a representative from ICSTIS on GMR radio yesterday and he said it is a myth and does not exist,this is backed up by my copy from the ICSTIS site that I have just posted.
I understand the point about informing people,but that also includes people being corrected when the statements are not true,
I also got the same message that you got when phoning ICSTIS, and whilst I did suggest contacting B.T. personally,if they told me today was Friday,I would check the calendar

rushnowt

I think your being rather harsh on me Derrick, if the information is incorrect then i will gladly hold my hands up and apologise,

however i have not stated anywhere on the original post that this information is mine or that it completely true, i have just informed of a warning i have recieved and was concerned about.

However you seem to be of the opinion that because you have heard differently that that must be right,

rushnowt

thank you Moonie, a friend, at last :-* :-* :-*

the cheques in the post ;D

derrick

It is not my intention to be harsh just,originally, reply to your posted info,of which I heard differently and appear to be backed up by the ICSTIS website.

I will also hold my hands up if this info is wrong,but as I said it was stated by ICSTIS rep yesterday and it is on their website,whils this does not make it gospel, I would
rather believe them than someone from B.T.

Also as I previously stated,it is advisable to warn people,but it seems on this occassion the warning isn`t neccassary.