Internet Phone Scam

savvy

Ok, I've done 3 searches and haven't seen this anywhere on the site, so big apologies if someone already posted it! :-/

Found this article on the Motley Fool website:
Internet Phone Scam!

By Cliff D'Arcy (TMFCliff)
April 14, 2004

Premium-rate telephone services regulator ICSTIS has warned consumers to beware of a growing phone scam. Hundreds of Internet users have had their computers hijacked, leading to massive phone bills.


Many Internet users in the UK have received huge bills for calls to unfamiliar '090' premium-rate services charged at £1.50 per minute, which appear to be linked to dubious online businesses, often based in West Africa. Another scam involves international numbers terminating in Byelorussia and Eastern European countries. (These are yet more examples of how tangled the Web has become - perhaps they are the new Nigerian scams?)


These people are victims of a 'rogue dialler' swindle, in which virus-style programs hijack their PCs, making them connect to the Internet via premium-rate numbers, instead of their usual Internet Service Provider's numbers. PCs can become infected by rogue emails, web pages, unsolicited links, pop-up windows and downloaded programs. Note that these diallers usually only work with dial-up modems, so broadband users are normally unaffected (although they are more at risk from other scams, like credit-card number grabbers).


Sadly, many defrauded customers find BT remarkably reluctant to help, even though this spending has happened without their knowledge or consent - although BT is happy to take its cut of this unsavoury income!


Here are some tips to avoid being ripped off in this way:


Tell your telephone provider (usually BT, Kingston Communications, NTL or Telewest) to block all calls to 090 numbers. Do it today!
Keep your Windows software up to date with Windows Update and Office Update.
Install up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware software, plus a firewall - and then ask a PC-savvy friend to restore your usual dial-up settings.
Free programs recommended on our Help With This Blasted Computer! discussion board include AVG Anti-Virus, Ad-aware, SpyBot, Sygate and Kerio.
Be very wary of unsolicited emails and programs downloaded over the Internet, especially file-sharing software and dodgy MP3s.
Here's a list of popular 090 and interactive TV numbers. If you've received a bill that includes bogus premium-rate charges, contact ICSTIS for advice before approaching the Office of the Telecommunications Ombudsman and regulator Ofcom.

Hope it's of use! :-/

miken

HELP!!!!!!!
How do I stop this happening.
I delete the icon that is put in my dial up Network box, scan the P/C with both Adaware and Spybot but the very next time I log on, this (bug) keeps coming back.
I have changed my firewall but that does not spot the incoming aggro.
There must be a way of blocking it coming back in. I have also updated my system with the latest patches from Microsoft (Win ME) but nothing stops this dial up reappearing.
HELP!!!!

Tony_H_3

The aforementioned "tips" are all good, if you really are having trouble with a particularily roguish dialer try running this......

Panda Active Scan CLICK HERE This is an online virus scanner by Panda Software. There are several things I like about this, 1. it's updated often, sometimes more than weekly, 2. it gives clear instructions about "How to remove rogue files & registry enteries?".

It does have a downside, it can take a longtime to run, I recommend start by scanning your e-mail's for viruses, followed by your operating system drive eg Drive C: followed by your drive which contains your TIF - Temporary Internet Files, finally scan remaining drives by selection. ;D

LincsLad_3

HELP!!!!!!!
How do I stop this happening.
I delete the icon that is put in my dial up Network box, scan the P/C with both Adaware and Spybot but the very next time I log on, this (bug) keeps coming back.
I have changed my firewall but that does not spot the incoming aggro.
There must be a way of blocking it coming back in. I have also updated my system with the latest patches from Microsoft (Win ME) but nothing stops this dial up reappearing.
HELP!!!!

Neither AdAware nor SpyBot are anti-virus packages. Do you HAVE an up to date anti-virus package on your PC, as you don't mention it anywhere in your post.

There are a few 'Trojan Horse' Dialers around - it sounds like you may have one of those and anti-virus software should at least detect it and tell you which one you have. We can then help you to get rid of it.

miken

I have McAfee Virus scan which I update at least once a week.
Still cannot totally get rid of the rogue dialler.

Lady_K

I havent had my phonebill yet this month so I hope I havent got it. I scan with spybot and ad-aware and I have norton av. I have broadband, is it possible to unplug my modem from the wall just in case anything like this ever happens seeing as I am on broadband or would it effect anything. When I first ran spybot months ago I did discover that I had a dialer on then which I didnt know about but that was got rid of but I was a bit concerned if they can be put on without beoing detected till its too late

LincsLad_3

If you are on broadband, then you can unplug the dialup modem from the wall without any ill effects.

LincsLad_3

I have McAfee Virus scan which I update at least once a week.
Still cannot totally get rid of the rogue dialler.

What is the name of the dialler? Have you tried booting the PC into safe mode, and then running the virus scan?

System

ok miken

Firstly download and run(you will need something to unzip the program) http://nirsoft.multiservers.com/utils/myuninst.html

This should clearly illustrate all of the programmes downloaded to your computer and gives you the option to uninstall.


Clear away all of your temporary files, cookies etc regularly either by hand or by using something like McAfee Uninstaller.

http://www.tucows.com/preview/195895.html

Once you 'puter is clean, you may wish to download
Spywareblaster.

0rsen

Agree with Donnie. Spywareblaster is the business, but check for updates at least once a week. Another one worth having (again free) is CWshredder http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html
Hope this helps.

peterbaker

This Internet Phone Scam is outrageous!

It might very well be worth your attention MSE!

I have just spoken to BT about an instance where my computer was hijacked and dialed a premium rate number. Thanks to the ICSTIS website I can even tell you who owns the number it dialed ... it is a company called Telessential.

I haven't a clue where I found the link that killed my existing dial up connection and dialed Telessential's premium rate, and I don't care. Unfortunately for them,
1. I am too thick-skinned to worry about suggestions that I may have clicked on a premium rate link on some porno website. If I wanted to pay for !!!!!! then I would make a decision to do so. I am not having some crap ICSTIS member making the decision for me thanks very much!
and
2. I spotted the computer was hijacked almost immediately and it only cost me 30p before I switched it off.

The outrageous aspects of this continuing scam are that
A. BT will make no promise of a refund if it is small amounts on individual bills like mine and they will not even commit to any timescale for investigating the complaint even when the ICSTIS member's name and the number dialed appear on the ICSTIS website as questionnable i.e. BT do not appear anxious to end the scams quickly (I wonder why not!)

B. I believe I simply opened what turned out to be a spam mail and that was enough to make me susceptable to the scam. If that is so then Telessential are definitely using Trojan dialers. A Trojan is a virus.

C. BT told me that some of their customers have been billed for hundreds of pounds when they have been unaware that their normal dialup connection has ended and that the trojan dialer has connected at £1.50 per minute instead.

Many customers are too embarassed to complain, especially when BT's first response is "Are you sure that no-one in your household has deliberately dialed a premium rate number?"

It is time BT were forced to closed down 090 accounts with these operators. I don't care if some of them are for "acceptable purposes" like "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" competition entries. Most are scams. I have only had my new ex-directory line for a month and already I am getting calls from those damn operators that get a computer to do the dialing and if you answer then only are you told (by the computer after a stupid delay) that you are to wait to be connected to an operator, who then congratulates you on winning £2,000 and says you must dial 090... to claim it.

All these 090.. businesses are scum and I am vitriolic in my damnation of them because they upset people like my aged parents who don't have a computer and never will, but they will struggle to get up from a favorite armchair to answer the phone unexpectedly and then wonder what the hell is going on in this world when they do.