070 Phone Scam...
 

It goes like this:

You go to answer your phone and as you do the "caller" hangs up so you return the call. The number appears to be ringing but you are already paying a premium rate. Or you may hear that the person you are after is being contaced followed by a ringing tone.

I just got caught out. I called the number (07034275886) back for a total of 36 seconds and have been charged 50p for the call which is to a premium rate number. I knew that 090 were premium rate but was unaware that 070 are also.

Let your freinds know and never return a call to an 070 number. :{

Just found more here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1394978.stm

Why not just ban ALL 'premium rate' phone numbers? They're all a total rip-off.

"Why not just ban ALL 'premium rate' phone numbers? They're all a total rip-off."


I thought 'Dirty Deirdre' was good value.

Damn - I thought Mrs B was getting a lot of calls............:)

I will tell you a funny story.

My ex recently moved to a cowboy outfit called Toucan. They give you a phone service plus broadband.

Their support is in BongoBongo land somewhere; on a 30p/minute number.

And guess what?

By default, premium rate numbers are disabled on their phone service :ugh:

I was sorting out the BB for her and had to call the t0ssers on my mobile.

Incidentally, I was unable to understand much of what the barely English speaking man was saying. This kind of "customer service" is as big a scam as anything else.

A lot of kids fall for these scams. Nowadays they are highly "connected", with a mobile phone being the #1 most prized fashion accesory, and they get ripped off regularly.

It is also happening in Australia too. The ones that really annoy me are the TV programs like Big Brother that ask you to vote for contestants at higher than normal phone rates. I think it is just a gimmick to rake in money. If it was for the contestants they should offer a free call number or free online voting. Trouble is it is happening more and more and the public is stupid enough to fall for it. There is one particular show that was reported in the media that for the last two years the winner was a celebrity associated with the station running the program. Make up your own minds.
Thanks Allen

The other one that I hate is the 'Non Geographic' number. (Is it extra terrestrial then?)
I have Onetel, but the sods charge for these 0845 type numbers. Normal STD numbers are free as part of my broadband package, so every time I am presented with a 0845 type number nowadays, at the first call I ask them for an ordinary 01 number. You get some strange replies to that too...

You can frequently find a regular number here:-

http://www.saynoto0870.com/

No need to speculate. The revenue from the calls is an integral and vital part of the business model of these shows.

"Millionaire" started to falter, in business terms, for two reasons: Potential contestants got wise to the fact that they were being ripped off when they phoned in to try to get onto the show, so their numbers dropped off. And actual contestants got better at playing the game - not answering the questions, but playing the lifelines, so that average prize money paid out went up. And so the show went from being a money-spinner to one that asked the rest of ITV to sponsor it.

I think the 0845 numbers are just local rate.
The 0870 numbers are a pain and I believe the recipient of the call gets a cut of the cost too.
I don't know anything about the 0900 numbers 'cos I'm a good boy I am.

I think that the point is that a local call to a local number is often included in whatever contract rate you're paying (whether landline or mobile), whereas a call to an 0845 is often chargeable even though it is supposedly "local rate".

The same goes for 0870 numbers. Many mobile rate plans include geographic landline numbers anywhere in the UK, so you don't pay extra. But phone an 0870 and you're paying for the call, even though it is theoretically "national rate".