BBC investigation into premium rate call scams

DonnyDave

This is the Grumbletext newsletter sent out today. BBC's Money Programme is doing an investigation into premium rate telephone scams.

SOS SOS on Grumbletext newsletter - Monday 18 July 2005

Grumbletext has been contacted by the BBC TV Money Programme (BBC2) who are making a programme about premium rate telecoms scams. For those who don't know the programme, it has been running for 40 years, and is a serious investigative unit.

They are interested in hearing from consumers who have lost money as a result of being duped by premium rate 'services', including ringtones for example, but also premium rate landline scams where you end up calling a £1.50 per minute 090 number.

If you (or your child) have responded to any kind of unsolicited call or text message (or indeed TV or print advertising) and either lost money calling an 090 premium rate number for a prize which didn't exist etc, or you texted a ringtone service thinking you were just getting one ringtone and ended up getting into a 'subscription' where you got them sent to you repeatedly, and maybe also you coulldn't even end the 'subscription' when you tried, or if you got a recorded message on your telephone saying you had won e.g. a holiday or some kind or prize and to call a 090 number and you did, or if you get other unsolicited nuisance marketing messages on your phone...

.. then please call Terry Messenger on the Money Programme at 020 8752 7412 or email him at terry.messenger@bbc.co.uk

Just to recap, they are looking for consumers who have actually responded/been duped/scammed - if you just ignored the message then please don't bother to respond as they can't use it as a basis for further investigation.

cheers, Adrian at Grumbletext