Unsolicited Chargeable Text......

Intasun32

Having been a victim of the scam known as Unsolicited Reverse Charge Texts some years ago, I joined T-Mobile who allows its customers the option of blocking 'short codes', the method which the scammers steal our money. Vodafone gives the option to block 'short codes' but it is a well kept secret, so much that their customer service deny it's available.


A few months ago I joined 3UK and yesterday I received an unsolicited chargeable text.


Short code: 85955

Message:

'Free message.
Reply TABLET to 8955 to confirm your entry to new ipad.
Ignore this message if not requested'


I do not subscribe to any games, download wallpaper, music or vote for the X- Factor or the other TV reality shows. Oddly I use my phone to call people and the internet for work and banking.


I called 3 Customer Service and was answered by an assistant somewhere in Asia who had no idea what or why I was asking when I asked for information on the sender of the text as no company name had been included. Eventually out of frustration I gave up


I called Phone Pay Plus, the premium rate regulator who I have dealt with in the past and did not have a high opinion but I was pleasantly surprised to see how they have improved their service over the years. The assistant was knowledgeable and helpful and took my details and details of the message. He told me that the short code was chargeable even though the message stated it was free. He advised me that details of the company that had sent it was :


IMIMobile Europe
1 Clivenden Office Village
Lancaster
HP12 3YZ
01494750500


He told me he would contact the company to have my details removed from their database and I have lodged a complaint against them for breach of regulations.


When a company sends out scam text they do not sent out 1 or 2 but hundreds and thousands. Should you receive such a text first contact your network and then Phone Pay Plus.

grumbler

Intasun32 wrote: »

He told me he would contact the company to have my details removed from their database

Don't let them get away with the stolen money. Demand a refund.

Intasun32

@Grumbler,


Sadly 3 CS do not yet have the full details of the text, including cost, so I will have to wait a few days.


I want to know how my details were on the files of IMIMobile as I am extra careful and have never dealt with this company. There are only two ways, that is by software that generates numbers, which is illegal (but still used) or mailing lists purchased from other sources both contrary to PP+ regulations.

grumbler

Intasun32 wrote: »

I want to know how my details were on the files of IMIMobile as I am extra careful and have never dealt with this company. There are only two ways, that is by software that generates numbers, which is illegal (but still used) or mailing lists purchased from other sources both contrary to PP+ regulations.

Don't know about legality of using software, but I am pretty sure that all such companies simply send texts to random numbers - and the 'regulators' don't care.

I don't see why sending an unsolicited text can be illegal only if using some software.

Intasun32

grumbler wrote: »

Don't know about legality of using software, but I am pretty sure that all such companies simply send texts to random numbers - and the 'regulators' don't care.

I don't see why sending an unsolicited text can be illegal only if using some software.

@Grumbler,


Oddly under present legislation it is an offence to send an
'unsolicited promotional text' aka 'spam', hence the recent court case of a group of spammers. The action must be started by the premium rate regulator, Phone Pay Plus, before the police get involved.


'Unsolicited chargeable texts' are where you receive a text out of the blue from a company that you don't know or have never asked for the text, normally from a 5 figure number called a 'short code'. The cost to the receiver can range from £1.00 to £10.00.


This is normally called 'theft' under the law of the land but, as I was advised by the City Of London Police, the mobile phone industry is different (?) and this type of 'theft' is a grey area of the law (???). It is dealt with and policed by Phone Pay Plus who until some years ago were called ICSTIS and were as useful as a chocolate teapot. Saying that, from my recent experience they have certainly got their act together. Yet still the Regulator and the Law do nothing!


Regarding the software to generate random number to sent spam / chargeable texts it is a breach of PP+ regulations. It also a breach of regulation to purchase mailing lists and send unsolicited texts. The company that scammed me some years ago had my details (and thousands more) from such a list and were fined by ICSTIS, the previous name of PP+.


Only T-Mobile willingly allow customers to block short codes, it is available to Vodafone customers with great difficulty but can be done. The reason that the networks are so reluctant to block these texts, legal and illegal, is that the networks can earn up to 75% of the cost of the text. This was declared at a mobile phone convention by the then CEO of a major network back in the 90's.


At a meeting held by the City of London Police Economic Crime Dept. and representatives of the networks and ICSTIS (Phone Pay Plus) in February 2006, the networks were told that:

'If a Network takes money (and keeps it or passes it on) that has been made as a result of criminality (that they knew or suspected was criminal), the Network may also be committing an offence.'




To date I have never read or been told this has been enforced, yet every other day we read of mobile phone users being victims of this scam.

grumbler

Intasun32 wrote: »

Yet still the Regulator and the Law do nothing!

"From time to time our income is supplemented by additional, non-budgeted income such as bank interest and fines/ administrative charges collected from service providers who breach our Code of Practice."

This might explain why the Regulator does nothing.
If they succeed it doing what they are supposed to do, they will kill the goose laying golden eggs. The criminals are happy to share the the loot with the Regulator in the form of fines.

Daisy999

hi there...been scammed as well. can we get money back?...please reply ASAP...should have stopped texts now by texting STOP to 85955