Genealogy Chat

Anyone on a dial-up connection will want to read this

Internet Phone Scam! Premium-rate telephone services regulator ICSTIS has warned consumers to beware of a growing phone scam. Hundreds of Internet users have had their computers hijacked, leading to massive phone bills. Many Internet users in the UK have received huge bills for calls to unfamiliar '090' premium-rate services charged at £1.50 per minute, which appear to be linked to dubious online businesses, often based in West Africa. Another scam involves international numbers terminating in Byelorussia and Eastern European countries. (These are yet more examples of how tangled the Web has become - perhaps they are the new Nigerian scams?) These people are victims of a 'rogue dialler' swindle, in which virus-style programs hijack their PCs, making them connect to the Internet via premium-rate numbers, instead of their usual Internet Service Provider's numbers. PCs can become infected by rogue emails, web pages, unsolicited links, pop-up windows and downloaded programs. Note that these diallers usually only work with dial-up modems, so broadband users are normally unaffected (although they are more at risk from other scams, like credit-card number grabbers). Sadly, many defrauded customers find BT remarkably reluctant to help, even though this spending has happened without their knowledge or consent - although BT is happy to take its cut of this unsavoury income! Here are some tips to avoid being ripped off in this way: Tell your telephone provider (usually BT, Kingston Communications, NTL or Telewest) to block all calls to 090 numbers. Do it today! Keep your Windows software up to date with Windows Update and Office Update. Install up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware software, plus a firewall - and then ask a PC-savvy friend to restore your usual dial-up settings. Free programs include AVG Anti-Virus, Ad-aware, SpyBot, Sygate and Kerio. Be very wary of unsolicited emails and programs downloaded over the Internet, especially file-sharing software and dodgy MP3s. If you've received a bill that includes bogus premium-rate charges, contact ICSTIS for advice before approaching the Office of the Telecommunications Ombudsman and regulator Ofcom.

Hi Bob, Was that the one,that was on Watchdog,? quite scary,dont you think. Im glad Im not on that system. regards trish

i am unhappy to say that this has happened to me on two phone bills in a row now my previous phone bill had £50 worth of 090 phone calls - ranging from 1minute to 30 now my current phone bill is at £100 - i suspect the same thing has happened again, as there is no way i use the phone enough for this. i have just started using bt call barring, but there does not seem to be an option for barring premium rate numbers - although in the leaflet you are given the code for it, it is unavailable and the option you are given when you phone the helpline says (in the leaflet) that this will only bar premium rate numbers on some exchanges. i really think i should get a refund from bt if this happens again - do you think i will be eligible?

For a list of premium rate numbers and what they are go to: http://www.icstis.org/icstis2002/default.asp?Node=67

I wonder if everone realises this: Interactive digital TV service If you participate in competition and voting programmes on TV, such as "Who Wants to be a Millionaire", "Big Brother" or "I'm A Celebrity - Get Me Out of Here", pressing the red button on your digital remote control will access these services. Your set-top box, installed as part of your digital TV package, will have a connection to your telephone socket. Calls to services using your red button will be charged to your telephone bill. Not all interactive TV services are charged at premium rate, but when they are we require pricing information to be displayed clearly and, if they are aimed at children under the age of 16, a prompt should advise they must obtain the bill-payers permission before dialling

Bob, can you just get in touch with BT and just ask them to block all 090 number's are these usually the ones that are used by these scams? Also I had an email yesterday from one of these nigerian people and they said don't reply to this email and they put another email no on, to reply to, I think when you reply on that email are you linked to the phone where you are charged so much per minute.? I just delete those, I can't believe people would also give their details of banks and no's to have this so called money put in their banks.........Sue

hi bob, i've just checked my phone bill on line,it's o.k. infact i changed my number last week,cos i was sick of people phoning and trying to sell me things! i had book clubs,glass,consumer serveys,ntl,sometimes a recording over the phone! you name it,i had it!! i never open emails unless i know who it's from,to risky. chris.

Good advice. My husband mentioned it to me the other day. But wouldn't I hear my modem dialing out ?

hi christine i used to be plagued by tele-sale calls especialy at busy times ,tea times , and late at night, BT have a call preference that can stop all these calls and it dose work and its free tracy

Nina Yes that's what I look out for. I know it would be noticeable because we recently changed our internet provider and the change in dialling 'tune' from the modem was very different. Also the number being dialled comes up in a window while its dialling and I check that too. So unless the scammers have a way of changing those I think I'm safe. (XX - crossed fingers!) Anne

We've been caught out by this scam. My hubby had tried to download a game one night but couldn't get it to work. A few weeks later the phone bill arrived with about £50 of 090 numbers listed. We rang BT who put us in contact with ICSTIS, the premium rate regulator. ICSTIS investigated and we got a reply about two months later. They said the 090 company had acted illegally as they hadn't warned us about the cost of the download and ICSTIS had fined them £25,000. Fine, but if we wanted our £50 we had to write to the 090 company and ask for the money back ourselves!!! And the company was located in Spain, listed as an 'adult service'. Needless to say we haven't had a reply from Spain. I think it's disgusting that BT can profit from these calls but don't refund customers when they have been defrauded. Can you imagine if someone took money from your bank account and the bank knew who did it. They would just refund you and go after the fraudsters themselves. Wonder what ICSTIC did with the £25,00, probably shared it with BT and had a big party!

Hi I have put a stop to all Premium rate calls, by ringing BT. They then advised me to do the same with my Provider Which I have just sent an E.Mail to ,telling them I want a stop on all Premium Rate calls, also. I am so sorry to hear of those of you who have been had. This needs to be highlighted quite often on here. So know one gets ripped off again. Joan

nudge

FOR ALL OF YOU WITH TESCO AS THEIR SERVICE PROVIDER i phoned tesco my isp today to check this he said TESCO has a firewall so they shouldnt be able to get into it - HOWEVER TESCO does have 2 different dialling sounds- first it will come up busy , then dial a different no this happened to me earlier. he said as long as the no that it is dialing is 0800.......... or 0808........ that was ok if you see 090 at all - you should disconnect immediately & contact isp

As more of us get on the net so the opportunity to work these frauds gets more tempting. As I said above... Tell your telephone provider (usually BT, Kingston Communications, NTL or Telewest) to block all calls to 090 numbers. *Do it today!* All you have to do is phone them and ask. It costs nothing and could save you loads. Happy surfing Bob