Mobile phone fraudsters - how can they?

[zebedee]

How can a text company send unsolicited texts to someone at £1.50 a pop (8 in a minute = £12) and then claim the money straight off the mobile phone provider? Surely the mobile phone provider needs to get consent from the account holder before it starts paying fraudsters with our money?

Isn't this fraud - how do the company's claim any entitlement?

[alexkp]

If this is happening it's because the telecons (sic) companies are a total shower of shite and utterly immoral.

Surely it would actually make the telecoms co. party to and complicit in a fraud?

>> Edited by alexkp on Tuesday 12th July 10:35

[zebedee]

surely if enough people reported them to the police, because it is basically fraud, some action would be taken? My colleague has already spent 90 minutes trying to sort it out, think he is going to threaten police report now.

Glad I don't have a mobile

[billb]

zebedee said:

How can a text company send unsolicited texts to someone at £1.50 a pop (8 in a minute = £12) and then claim the money straight off the mobile phone provider? Surely the mobile phone provider needs to get consent from the account holder before it starts paying fraudsters with our money? Isn't this fraud - how do the company's claim any entitlement?

quite i have had some dodgy texts recentely and if i found i have been charged will go mental - surely everyone can do it if they can - think i'll go and send a million texts?!?! doesnt make sense theres no way am paying the bill if i get done.

[minimax]

billb said:

zebedee said: How can a text company send unsolicited texts to someone at £1.50 a pop (8 in a minute = £12) and then claim the money straight off the mobile phone provider? Surely the mobile phone provider needs to get consent from the account holder before it starts paying fraudsters with our money? Isn't this fraud - how do the company's claim any entitlement? quite i have had some dodgy texts recentely and if i found i have been charged will go mental - surely everyone can do it if they can - think i'll go and send a million texts?!?! doesnt make sense theres no way am paying the bill if i get done.

vo*a*one did this to me when I signed up to their '3' tariff, I got 4 photo messages a month at £1.50 a go with no warning at all! to say I was p1ssed off is an understatement

[zebedee]

the worst thing is, the number he has been given to complain is a charge line, so they are making even more money! I have told him to get them to call him back and refund him by 12, otherwise he will contact the police and report the fraud

[Dakkon]

Well you have to be careful with all those ringtone adds, as they are a subscription service and buy getting the ringtone you sign up to txt's being sent toyour phone, which you pay for.

[zebedee]

he hasn't signed up for anything, or requested anything, they are totally unsolicited

[dave_s13]

Fcukin baarstads!! Hope you get it sorted and their gonads fall off.

[ysnnim]

Complete fraud. 2 ways of being charged for PRS (prememium rate services) either you as the bill payer request via your mobile phone a service (for example - ringtones) and then get billed, or reverse charging -where you want an game or suchlike sent to your phone, and you are purchasing from the WEB for example (you supply your MSISDN + relevent PIN or authority) and bingo you receive what ever service you asked for.

I suggest your brother has been reverse charge scammed - with someone putting your brothers MSISDN details to company who is sending him stuff he hasn't requested, and making a few quid on the side. Just so you know, out of a £1.50 sms, the Service Provider makes between 78p and 89p, with the remainder going to the company supplying the ringtone/game/whatever.

Suggest your brother asks for proof from his Service Provider as to where he authorised this activity to happen from...(and of course refuse to pay part of the bill that is being disrupted)

[zebedee]

no reply yet, they are only based down the road according to ICSTIS (the regulator's website) so we are heading down there at lunchtime to find out why they think they can get away with it.

[zebedee]

oh dear, they have already been fined £75k and they are still doing it! unbelievable. Looks like someone (could even have been an employee of the company!) has put his number into the website, no pin needed or nothing, then they just sit back and grab the cash from his service provider.

www.icstis.org.uk/icstis2002/default.asp?node=74&id=160


>> Edited by zebedee on Tuesday 12th July 11:40

[F908 Tim]

How about this one then...
Orange have deducted £5 every day since 11th April from my credit card and topped up someone elses phone.
They won't even discuss it with me because it was not my phone...just my bloody credit card!
Orange have never been given my credit card details as I have never topped up my phone with this card direct with them,only a couple of times with a local corner shop, so they should never have had the details in the first place ...let alone think it OK to debit me £5 EVERY DAY without checking for any authorisation!

My credit card company didnt query it with me either though it must have seemed hugely out of the usual as I only top up about once each month!

I have reported to police but they don't expect much co-operation from Orange.Wrote to Orange 18 days ago demanding explanation and investigation...no reply to date!!!
NOT HAPPY.

[zebedee]

I had a similar thing with someone topping up 2 x £50 vodafone vouchers on my debit card. Reported to police and my bank took the money back off vodafone - served them right for having a zero-security based top-up system. Your credit card company should be able to retract the money back from orange, as they were not authorised to take it in the first place. Obviously Orange won't help you...

Are all mobile phone companies scum?