Home Phone Line Fraud - Not Possible??

wantmemoney

your quite welcome I only wish we could be of more help.

lady_lurkalot wrote:

Re: the cordless handset type phones, I've heard that these can act as a sort of 'walkie talkie' type transmitter and can be 'hacked' into??

It may be true but I really do believe that is a bit of a red herring at this point. I would concentrate on the most likely cause.

Any info on Square 1 Communications please?

Square1 doesn't really flag up that many complaints that appear to describe possible instances of hacking.

Oxygen8 (previously called Opera Telecom) is the company that appears to supply the numbers that most often appear in complaints.

Here's some research carried out on the subject.
http://www.the-scream.co.uk/forums/t30060.html

also you might want to contact these guys. The main Networks don't have any qualms bully 86 year old customers into handing over the money but they really don't like doing it in public.
Andrew Penman and Nick Sommerlad form the Daily Mirror.
http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigations/contact.php

I know it's a bit of a pain but I would appreciate if you could post the numbers dates times and charges that appear on the bill.
They can be of use to others in future....thanks

leexgx

0029 hrs, 0045 hrs, 0055 hrs and 0121 hrs

its dialing the numbers at an set time, its an automated that is doing it no person involved in making the call (apart from what ever set it up)

99.9% of the time its an PC that's plugged into the phone line that's got an !!!!!! virus dialer on it, does she have an pc ?
the unlikely other way is they some how managed to make her phone to Dial back an number (in this case the 09 one) this can be done with digital answer phone as some support some sort of remote playback with Pin (some support call back as well)

does she have an amstrad phone

what phones or Anything that's digital that's plugged into the line (sky tv box, phone, Fax )

alex99

Some cases like this have involved "hard" hacking - eg opening the green box in the street and connecting to a phone line using crocodile clips - others have used "soft" hacking" (used to be called "phreaking" a long time ago) where you use one line and "impersonate" another line. Neither of these are easy to do and are therefore not very common, but they are both possible. Neither type of hacking is easy to detect directly, but patterns emerge when crooks artificially inflate traffic to 09 numbers in this way.

Given the insecurity of the technology and the nature of a significant number of players in the premium rate "industry" the only real protection- at least for those of us who know we never wish to dial a premium rate number - is to opt out of all premium rate and block all calls to and from all these numbers (it's not just 09 BTW). While some networks allow you to block some of this filth (as a special "service") there is no automatic right and the "regulators": Ofcom & PhonePayPlus refuse point blank to mandate the networks to provide a general opt out - even for kids with mobiles. Until this changes, I afraid that people like your mother will continue to fall victim to this industry.

alex99

leexgx wrote: »

99.9% of the time its an PC that's plugged into the phone line that's got an !!!!!! virus dialer on it, does she have an pc ?

This was a huge problem a few years ago, but since everyone moved over to broadband and "ADSL", the problem has more or less disappeared. If your mother has a computer connected to the phoneline and uses an old fashion dial up modem and leaves her computer equipment switched on at night, then it's possible that a "rogue dialler" is the problem, but it seems a bit unlikely.

lady_lurkalot

Thanks again everybody for your input. My mum has no computer, modem, fax, answerphone, Sky box or anything remotely 'high tech', only the telephone. I'm pretty sure its not an Amstrad, but will check. I will try to list the 09 numbers on here as suggested by Wantmemoney. I have thought about going to the newspapers but that would be a last resort, I really hope it doesn't come to that and the network provider does the decent thing and sorts this out. Having said that, another week has gone by and we have heard nothing from them ...... will have to chase them up again tomorrow

alex99

lady_lurkalot wrote: »

I have thought about going to the newspapers but that would be a last resort, I really hope it doesn't come to that and the network provider does the decent thing and sorts this out.

Sorry to be negative, but I think it's highly unlikely that BT will do "the decent thing". Past form suggests they will simply ignore all your protestations and keep demanding the money while repeating the mantra that the calls were made on your line.

Once BT start getting heavy, you will have to establish that you are in dispute with them about the bill (this will give you an initial 8 weeks to fight the thing) and then you may have to take the case to the Communications Ombudsman http://www.ombudsman-services.org/communications.html.

Meanwhile you should maximize pressure on BT by using every means at your disposal - including the press. I'm sure people on this forum and over at http://www.the-scream.co.uk/forums/f30.html? will help if you provide as much information as you can about these calls (obviously don't publish any personal information on the web).

It's also worth being persistent with PhonePayPlus. In my experience, they almost always refuse to help in the first instance. They usually relent if you are insistent. At the very least, they ought to be able to find out more about the companies that Square 1 Communications has leased these 09 numbers to.

sugarsuze

Certainly keep on at Phonepayplus as they do have a duty to investigate here. I have worked on premium rate chat lines as an operator and just had a thought. By law all calls to these premium rate numbers have to be recorded and a copy of the recordings have to be kept on file by the premium rate company. Demand either from the premium rate company or Phonepayplus ( or both) that they listen back to the recordings to find out if its a hacking dialler scam or a real perve/neighbouring guy. It may help shed some light on it for you. I hope you get some answers. Premium rate gigs are usually very corrupt businesses with a lot of illegal doings going on. All best.

PostIt

The 09 number you have posted is for the non Adult Playboy TV Channel on Sky TV. They will be able to confirm that you mother did not make the calls as the are all recorded. That should suffice for purposes of registering a dispute with BT.

Find the channel on SKY and take the helpline number down...make sure it is the non premium rate number.

Buzby

We have to be realistic - EVERYTHING has 'been 'cracked' to a greater or lesser extent. If no external tampering is found, DECT handsets (if used) are a further weak link - although I have to say false registration and abuse would be far more prevalewnt than a hacker targeting an OAP in sheltered housing.

The fact remains, if there is no external issues found, the customer will be held liable under the supplier's T&C's, no matter how long and hard they protest. A cordless provides a customer side insecurity that is worth investigating.

alex99

PostIt wrote: »

The 09 number you have posted is for the non Adult Playboy TV Channel on Sky TV.

Do you have a link?
Is this a live line or a recorded message line?

If this IS the number that has been rung, this points away from the artificial inflation of traffic theory and back towards someone making personal use of these lines. Whoever it was a rung up one hell of a bill though.