Telephone Premium Rate scam

[doug]

Just happened to be watching Watchdog on TV last night - don't really like their interview techniques - but anyway just towards the end they warned about a current telephone scam. Apparently you may receive a message saying you've won a holiday to Disneyland. Just press the "9" button. Watchdog warned that it was a scam and it simply connected you to a premium rate number. I thought how naive must people be to think there was a free lunch on offer.

Today took the car into Sunderland to get the accelerator pedal converted into a twin flip version as my Wife has passed her mobility assessment for driving with only her left foot. Driving license currently being renewed. While the conversion was being carried out we went to spend the day with No.1 daughter and No.1 G'son. Did the trip with the PowerTrike. 9 miles all in all fast walking. Anne doesn't realise how quickly the damn thing accelerates. When we got home tonight there were 3 messages on the answerphone. Guess what the first 2 were? They went on for ages. Had to go through the and found an important message from a friend at he end. Obviously deleted them all. So thought I'd post this.

PS may post a couple of piccies of the pedal conversion. Have to wait 'till daylight as it was pitch black when we collected the car so didn't actually see the modification. Drove OK then thought on the way home - mustn't have an accident until I've notified the insurance company, which I've just done.

[Bluecow]

Not sure about this dial 9 lark from The Register.

Net users are being urged to bin an email doing the rounds (yet again) warning them of a premium-rate phone scam. Telephone watchdog, ICSTIS, says its received dozens of calls in the last few days from people concerned that they could be ripped off if they fall for the con.

The emails claim people could be hit with a bill for £260 if they "press 9" and listen to a recorded message offering them a free all-expenses paid holiday. Another apparent scam relates to people phoning a "missed call" number beginning 0709. Anyone calling the number will be charged £50 a minute, warns the hoax email.

Click Here

However, ICSTIS says this is all utter tosh and has urged anyone who receives one of these emails to bin it and not to pass it on.

Said the regulator: "Please note that these stories are NOT true. £20.00 per minute and £50.00 per minute premium rate tariffs do not exist - the highest premium rate tariff available is £1.50 per minute.

"Despite the dozens of enquiries received by ICSTIS about these 'scams' (and most people appear to have heard about them second or third-hand), not one person who claims that it has actually happened to them has been able to produce a phone bill to support their story.

"ICSTIS urges any individual or organisation that receives an e-mail about these 'scams' to delete it immediately. Please do NOT forward it to others."

Last year ICSTIS had to take similar action after Wiltshire Police published a statement on its website warning people against this entirely fictitious scam. ®

So is it true or not?????

[doug]

Whether true or not, I certainly saw the warning last night and today had recorded 2 messages asking me to dial the 9 button. What the consequences would have been I don't know. The sound quality of the message was very poor. It started off with a Ho Ho Ho purporting to come from Somewhere to do with Father Christmas. In the background was the sound of hooves on a metalled round. Very authentic. As I said the messages have beeb binned.

[Private Smith]

I've had a number of 'phone calls like this. It's been a while since I read about it but the main culprits are based in the US and use computers to dial 'phone numbers in the UK, play some pre-recorded spiel and then ask for some input from the recipient. The computer then connects them to the premium rate line. The scam has grown in the US due to the lack of regulation of the telecos. Just be careful - you don't get anything for nothing (unless your surname is Windsor).

[doug]

Evenin Chris