Reminder that high rate 'personal number' phone scams continue (070 numbers)

RussJK

Probably many are aware of the 070 'personal number' problems and wouldn't fall for it, but as an Australian it seems strange to have mobile numbers mixed in with essentially 'premium rate' numbers known as personal numbers.

Just a reminder that there are still scams going around to try to trick people into ringing them, as some of these come with a fixed call fee.

One such method is a call with a man or woman, often sounding distressed, saying "hello? hello? hello?" then hanging up. Because it's a bad sounding line, it adds to the idea that it's someone calling from a mobile - and with the distortion, can quite easily sound like someone you might know.

Hitting 1471 gave back a number 070492xxxxx, which either gives off warning bells to some, or makes others think it's a mobile number.

From BT.co.uk
http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumer/consumerProducts/pdf/SpecialisedNos.pdf
and
http://www.bt.com/pricing/current/Call_Charges_boo/1631_d0e5.htm#1631-d0e5

07049 2 numbers are classed as pn7 types of call
51.10 fixed fee
4.032p/min daytime
1.021p/min evening/night/weekend

I'm guessing the phone companies are getting their cut from this and don't much care.

It makes no difference to me that 070 personal numbers were apparently here before 07 mobiles - I think the situation shouldn't exist in the first place.

Other threads on 070 number scams:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/468030
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1875245
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/263901

dealer_wins

Another fantastic example of just hoe STUPID the UK regulator is to allow premium scam numbers and normal mobile numbers to both begin with 07.

Makes me wonder if they have a single brain cell between them it really does!!

RussJK

dealer_wins wrote: »

Another fantastic example of just hoe STUPID the UK regulator is to allow premium scam numbers and normal mobile numbers to both begin with 07.

Makes me wonder if they have a single brain cell between them it really does!!

Exactly. It's worse when some parents mistake the calls for one of their children being in trouble, and keep calling frantically to find out what's wrong.

Some scams take advantage of greed, but just as many take advantage of our good natures.

spannerzone

I came across these 070 numbers when using my local advert paper, the Friday Ad - I called someone about buying an item then noticed a charge on my phone as it wasn't included in my 'free' minutes.

It seems that the Friday Ad (and others no doubt) offer free adverts and offer sellers some privacy by giving you an 070 number that forwards to your own home number, thus allowing some online privacy of your advert but still being easily contactable by potential buyers. It does work quite well as long as people realise they're paying a lot for a phone call that they might easily mistake for a normal cellular mobile number.

Their charges are:

Calls to privacy numbers are charged at 37.5p per minute at peak times, falling to 25p per minute in the evenings and just 12.5p per minute at the weekends (BT landline customers). If you are not with BT, calls will be charged at your own operators rate. Calls from mobiles will vary depending on the rate charged by your operator.

http://www.friday-ad.co.uk/privacynoinfo.html

Kernel_Sanders

RussJK wrote: »

07049 2 numbers are classed as pn7 types of call
51.10 fixed fee
4.032p/min daytime
1.021p/min evening/night/weekend

spannerzone wrote: »

Their charges are:
Calls to privacy numbers are charged at 37.5p per minute at peak times, falling to 25p per minute in the evenings and just 12.5p per minute at the weekends (BT landline customers). If you are not with BT, calls will be charged at your own operators rate. Calls from mobiles will vary depending on the rate charged by your operator.

These two posts are completely at odds with each other.

RussJK

Kernel_Sanders wrote: »

These two posts are completely at odds with each other.

In what way? There's many personal number types, some with fairer pricing than the ones targeted and used by scammers.

From BT.co.uk
http://www.productsandservices.bt.co...ialisedNos.pdf
and
http://www.bt.com/pricing/current/Ca....htm#1631-d0e5

Kernel_Sanders

RussJK wrote: »

In what way? There's many personal number types,

But these two posts are referring to the same number type, i.e. 070.
Do you mean different providers charge wildly different rates? I note that 3 state that 070 numbers cost £1.02 per call plus 71.5p per minute.

fwor

dealer_wins wrote: »

Another fantastic example of just hoe STUPID the UK regulator is to allow premium scam numbers and normal mobile numbers to both begin with 07.

Makes me wonder if they have a single brain cell between them it really does!!

That would be the same regulator that allows a Premium Rate SMS charging system whereby a premium rate text operator can send premium rate texts to whoever they like and effectively steal money from them, and the recipient has no recourse other than to ~pay~ to send a STOP text back (which they then ignore).

The problem is that Ofcom serves the interests of service operators, not end-users.

StormyNight_2

that is so true RussJK! i got a call once, the man was deliberately trying to make his end sound distorted and airy like he's in a moving vehicle. i knew the trick because i do that when my boyfriend calls me. and that scammers tried to talk me into calling him back because there was a problem in his end. and he sounded so frantic and worried that if i didnt know any better, i would have fallen for the trick.

StormyNight_2

and by the way, i reported the whole thing to CALLERCENTER! everybody should have read the complaint by now.. i'm doing these not because i have a kind heart to help others but they !!!!ed me off to the level that I think I could ring their neck if i see them!