03-12-2003, 09:11
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#1
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Hertfordshire
Age: 44
Posts: 601
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Phone Scam
I just had this though at work via e-mail, sounds to me we need to be careful. Although I'm not that stupid to let it happen to me 
BT confirm that they are aware of the details and are investigating, The scam relates to home and/or work phones (including mobiles). The scenario is:- Your phone rings and you receive a recorded message;
"Congratulations. We are calling to advise you that you have won an all expenses paid trip to an exotic destination. Please press 9 now to hear further details."
If you press 9, you'll be connected to a premium line that bills in the region of £20 per minute.
If you press 9 and connect, even if you disconnect immediately, the other end will stay connected for a minimum of 5 minutes - at a cost to you of £100 - the message lasts for 11 minutes.
The final part of the call asks you to key in your postcode and house number (which has other serious considerations) and then, after a wait of a further two minutes, responds with the message;
"Sorry, you are not one of the lucky winners." and disconnects, adding a further £260 to your bill!
Unfortunately the calls are originating from outside the U.K. and as such BT and other providers are relatively powerless to act. The only safe solution is to hang up before the message prompts you to press 9.
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03-12-2003, 10:22
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#2
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Services: Cablevision
Posts: 8,305
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Re: Phone Scam
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Originally Posted by Ben
I just had this though at work via e-mail, sounds to me we need to be careful. Although I'm not that stupid to let it happen to me
BT confirm that they are aware of the details and are investigating, The scam relates to home and/or work phones (including mobiles). The scenario is:- Your phone rings and you receive a recorded message;
"Congratulations. We are calling to advise you that you have won an all expenses paid trip to an exotic destination. Please press 9 now to hear further details."
If you press 9, you'll be connected to a premium line that bills in the region of £20 per minute.
If you press 9 and connect, even if you disconnect immediately, the other end will stay connected for a minimum of 5 minutes - at a cost to you of £100 - the message lasts for 11 minutes.
The final part of the call asks you to key in your postcode and house number (which has other serious considerations) and then, after a wait of a further two minutes, responds with the message;
"Sorry, you are not one of the lucky winners." and disconnects, adding a further £260 to your bill!
Unfortunately the calls are originating from outside the U.K. and as such BT and other providers are relatively powerless to act. The only safe solution is to hang up before the message prompts you to press 9.
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I cannot quite see how this could happen unless the call is a called party pays call.
By pressing 9 you are comunicating with a voice response unit, hmmm, perhaps pressing 9 indicates you are willing to pay for the call, but otherwise for a call to cost you money you have to dial the number.
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03-12-2003, 11:22
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#3
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Belfast
Age: 46
Posts: 4,594
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Re: Phone Scam
I've never heard of a premium line charging £20pm. I though the most was £1.50pm .
Think I've seen something like this before, sounds like a hoax to me.
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03-12-2003, 11:41
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#4
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 285
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Re: Phone Scam
http://ichuddersfield.icnetwork.co.u...name_page.html
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But an organisation set up to oversee all providers of phone services in the UK said the scenario in the email simply could not happen.
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and
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The technology simply does not exist for the call charges to be reversed simply by pressing the number 9. Also, once a phone has been put down, the call it automatically terminated.
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03-12-2003, 12:27
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#5
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Toronto, Canada
Services: Beanfield 50/50 FTTH and iPTV
Posts: 1,756
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Re: Phone Scam
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Originally Posted by Dooby
The technology simply does not exist for the call charges to be reversed simply by pressing the number 9. Also, once a phone has been put down, the call it automatically terminated.
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Yeah I'll agree with that.
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03-12-2003, 14:06
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#6
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: St Neots
Posts: 872
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Re: Phone Scam
How about the old favorite
hoax site ?
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03-12-2003, 14:35
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#7
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cf.mega poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: England
Services: I no longer receive cable services, I blame the inept accounts dept for that.
Posts: 3,732
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Re: Phone Scam
Its a total scam.
Here at work we received an email from our personnel dept telling us:
Quote:
Dear All
We have been warned of a possible scam either at work or home. You receive a phone call with a recorded message saying you have won a free exotic holiday and asking you to press 9.
DO NOT press 9 or any other number. You should hang up immediately, failure to do so will result in a extortionate bill. The calls are originating from outside the UK.
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Its an absolute scam, although it may have worked years ago on older PABX systems etc apparently it no longer does.
You used to be able to dial in & while the automated massage was being played, dial an extension number and if it was permitted dialling 9 & getting another line.
This was stopped years ago.
This could never work from at home.
However, the urban myth still circulates & its the naivety of some that circulate it even more. I expressed my disbelief that she would further the scam without at least checking it out, only to be told that she knew some womenin her office that had recieved similar calls.
Oh how gullable these people can be... 
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10-12-2003, 13:02
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#8
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Inactive
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 91
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Re: Phone Scam
Quote:
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Originally Posted by zoombini
Oh how gullable these people can be... |
Oh how true... 
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10-12-2003, 20:02
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#9
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Inactive
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Glasgow
Age: 51
Posts: 8
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Re: Phone Scam
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Dooby
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OOOOps... I stand corrected
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10-12-2003, 20:49
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#10
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: M20, Manchester
Age: 38
Services: VM Phone, TV and 20mb Broadband
Posts: 521
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Re: Phone Scam
i had a call like that a few weeks ago. but luckily, i had seen a report on the news and i hung up without pressing anything.
it's dreadful how people can "play around" with out telephony networks...it's disgusting!!
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11-12-2003, 11:40
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#11
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cf.mega poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: England
Services: I no longer receive cable services, I blame the inept accounts dept for that.
Posts: 3,732
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Re: Phone Scam
The damn stupid woman is now posting notices up on the company notice boards about it.
Damn idiots!
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11-12-2003, 12:04
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#12
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Norwich
Age: 64
Posts: 211
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Re: Phone Scam
Reminds me of the time that a virus hoax was circulated around the entire company ................... BY THE IT MANAGER.
Oh how we laughed! Better not mention the time the same IT Manager infected the entire network with a real virus!
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11-12-2003, 13:02
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#13
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cf.mega poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: England
Services: I no longer receive cable services, I blame the inept accounts dept for that.
Posts: 3,732
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Re: Phone Scam
These people who are in positions of responsibility should be checking thier facts before informing the whole companies.
Unfortunately they never seem to do so.
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If you need me, PM me.
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11-12-2003, 13:15
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#15
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 6,058
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Re: Phone Scam
Ok, I think as we've now established this is a hoax, it might be an idea to put this thread to bed. 
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