Micro Billing System scam

paul6666

Hi i have read everyones comments on this scam because today I found the bill from MBS on my computer. I know I sould not give in to this terrible way this company does buissness but I am thinking of paying it. I did phone the company before I read a lot of comments here so they also have my phone number as well as ip address. My worry is if they keep adding £25 every 7 days upon default of payment. The agreement appears to be legal and i am worried that if i dont pay it they will eventually catch up with me via my telephone no billing company. If anyone can help me with the legal side to this problem please advise.

Kind regards
Paul6666

albertross_2

You don't have to pay anything, just remove it from your PC by following the instructions.

They can do nothing with your IP address.

paul6666

Thanks v much albertross i`ll use sys restore which seems like the easiest and best way.

Browntoa

you need to follow this

http://www.virusvault.co.uk/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/519/pid/2431/post/last/m/1/#LAST

system restore will probably not cure it

RisingDamp

I had meant to post this on the Forum a while back. There is now a Forum dedicated to the MBS problem - not to replace this, or other useful forums, but simply to be a focal point for the particular issue of MBS. It can be found at http://www.mbsvictims.org.uk. Seems a well organised site with some good info.

RisingDamp

Browntoa wrote: »

you need to follow this

http://www.virusvault.co.uk/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/519/pid/2431/post/last/m/1/#LAST

system restore will probably not cure it

System restore can cure it, but be sure to remove all restore points after performing the restore and before turning system restore back on.

mchel

Hi, I have just started recieving these invoices from MBS, I have sarted the Malware process and have got to the stage 5 where you have to disable system restore but the properties in my computer is in grey and I'm unable to on click it, is there another way to system restore? Please help

oh and for the record, I don't do !!!!!! and didn't click on anything, I was actually studying and was on the NHS website when this invoice came up and I'm the only one who uses my laptop!

Many thanks

sam84uk

Hi there Mchel

I posted about this problem myself a while ago and the guys on here helped me out. There advice worked a treat, the thread is on this link http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=532422&highlight=mbs

Post no 6 (by Alfonso)was what worked for me and my laptop has been fine ever since. About a week after I removed it I had a warning from my firewall (McAfee) that MBS was trying to access my system but I blocked all access and I haven't had any problems since.

Thanks again Alfonso! :T I'm still very grateful.

Good luck Mchel in getting rid of it.

RisingDamp

Mchel: In light of what you have said, would you be prepared to run your Internet Explorer history and send it to Michael Pollitt (see http://michaelpollitt.com/wordpress/?p=142) as he has been investigating instances where people have had MBS popups appear where they are sure they didn't go onto any of the websites they serve. And this, I think, is what you are saying?

Also, the MBSVictims website is good for discussions and linking up with others who have had the problem.

Browntoa

decided to bump this as they are "rebranding" themselves with a new name!!

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/03/27/what_mbs_did_after_popups_for_!!!!!!_films_with_popup_bills.html

Yesterday came the announcement from the OFT of "undertakings to the OFT following numerous complaints about the appearance of 'pop-up' notices demanding payment for membership of adult content web sites on consumers' computers."

The undertakings include that MBS will not:

• cause more than twenty 'pop-ups' notifying users of liability for payment to appear on computers that have been used to access its web sites
• cause more than one 'pop-up' to appear on computers that have been used to access its web sites in any 24 hour period
• cause the appearance on computers used to access its web site of more than ten 'pop-ups' that are locked open
• cause those 'pop-ups that are locked open to remain open for more than 60 seconds
• cause any 'pop-ups' to appear on computers that have been used to sign up to access MBS web sites beyond the expiry of six weeks after payment has become due
• fail to provide information about how consumers can have the 'pop-up' generating software uninstalled at any time
• fail to make it clear in the sign-up process that the consumer is entering into a contract and
• fail to make it clear in the sign-up process that 'pop-up' bills will appear on consumers' computers when payment becomes due or is outstanding.

But will this be a case of stable doors and horses? For MBS is, we understand, no more - or soon to be so. Instead it is morphing into Platte International Ltd, which is offering films (not just !!!!!!) through 'getfilmsnow'. (Apparently there is also a Platte company registered in the British Virgin Isles owned by a wealthy Chinese individual - though we don't know if there's any connection.)


Happily, no. In the notes from the OFT press release, it says that

Undertakings were also given to the OFT by Platte International Limited, which the OFT understands will be taking over Micro Bill Systems Ltd' operations.

However Platte has already upset some people:

An icon has appeared on my desktop called 'Platte Account.Ink'. I delete it around 10 times a day and it's been there only a few days. It relates to something called Platte Media, and I dont know why or how this icon installed itself because i have never heard of it. It opens itself countless times to tell me my account is overdue and how I can pay, but I haven't subscribed to them so how can I have an account?

It all sounds awfully familiar. This one could run and run...
(Thanks to Michael Pollitt, who has been very effective in following this story over the months.)