BT drops blocking of UK rogue dialler numbers

D.A.

...because they're being sued.

See http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02/22/bt_court_case/
and http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02/18/bt_rogue_diallers/

Although obviously ICSTIS can still request a number be blocked.

akh43

I have had bt block 09 premium numbers for several months due to a rogue dialler on my computer which I cannot get rid of. Does this mean it will no longer block this? Is there anything I can do about this dialler to stop it?

Steve_xx

akh43 wrote:

I have had bt block 09 premium numbers for several months due to a rogue dialler on my computer which I cannot get rid of. Does this mean it will no longer block this? Is there anything I can do about this dialler to stop it?

Your BT bar will continue to block any 09 number which is attempted from your exchange line.

Please note that these scams are now operating in overseas domains and so a rogue dialler installing itself on your pc will dial the international 00 prefix. Unfortunately your 09 block will not be effective here and you could therefore find yourself with a hefty bill. You can have barring enabled by BT who will provide you with a PIN in order to prevent/enable international dialling. Unfortunately they will levy a monthly charge of £1.75 for this priveledge.

D.A.

Just to clarify - this only applies to numbers blocked specifically by BT themselves as suspected rogue dialling numbers. Any numbers requested to be blocked by customers will remain blocked.

Steve_xx

D.A. wrote:

Just to clarify - this only applies to numbers blocked specifically by BT themselves as suspected rogue dialling numbers. Any numbers requested to be blocked by customers will remain blocked.

Yes, you are correct. Your 09 bar remains unaltered.

TREVORCOLMAN

Phew!

I have premium and overseas calls block on. It is very useful and peace of mind for a few quid a month.

It is quite funny to see the pop ups etc trying to dial!!

Midas

You should be able to kill the dialler nonetheless. Which anti-spyware software have you tried?

The new Microsoft AntiSpyware (Beta) product can be downloaded free from the Windows website, and seems pretty good.

Also try SpywareBlaster, Spybot Search & Destroy and Adaware. They can all be downloaded for free, and having them all installed at once doesn't seem to cause any major problems.

koru

akh43 wrote:

I have had bt block 09 premium numbers for several months due to a rogue dialler on my computer which I cannot get rid of. Does this mean it will no longer block this? Is there anything I can do about this dialler to stop it?

There are a few solutions, assuming you can't disinfect your computer.

You could wipe your disk then reinstall windows and your software from scratch. You would need to back up any data files you particularly wanted to keep.

Or, get a broadband connection, and unplug the dial up cable. The dialers will not be able to connect to your phone line to make voice calls. (Of course, this costs money, but unless you use the internet very rarely you will probably find that broadband is worth it for the extra speed and the fact that you don't have to wait while the modem dials your ISP.

But either way, make sure you don't get reinfected. Get a firewall (preferably a hardware one, in a router), get anti-spyware, get anti-virusware. Consider switching to an Apple Mac - they are much safer (and have a number of other advantages, too).