New mobile phone scam

[razzle]

From the Herald Sun the other day:


Fake call scam hits phones (http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,19193024%255E662,00.html)
20may06

A MISSED call scam is costing unsuspecting mobile phone users a small fortune, but regulators are refusing to stop it.

The scam begins with an automatic phone dialler generating calls to thousands of random mobile phone numbers that disconnect as soon as the phone starts to ring.

Phone owners are left with what they think is a legitimate missed call.

But callers who ring the numbers are greeted by a recorded message that says they have won a $40 prize but need to call a 190 number to collect it.

The catch is calls to the number are charged at $2.97 a minute and mobile calls cost even more.

Victims incur phone charges of about $15 to find out the prize is free ring tones that they must later cancel if they do not want to incur an additional $4-a-week fee.

The Telephone Information Services Standards Council's arbitrator, Una Lawrence, said the 190 number complied with its code of practice so would not be shut down.

DP got one the other night, and I got one about 5 minutes ago. The number is an 02 number. Your phone only rings for a second and then hangs up. Don't return any missed calls unless you know the number!!

[Chickadee]

Yikes. I got one of these too, on saturday or yesterday. Glad I didn't return it :)

[sopolicha]

Unfortunately I have no risk of that occurring at the moment. My numbnutted husband has lost my phone. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[luckie_me]

I got one of those calls aswell! But i googled it b4 even thinkin about ringing them back!! Thank god for the internet!!

[nats]

i returned a call like that but as soon as I heard the recorded voice I hung up.
no use staying on the line as it's pointless abusing a recording......
they just talk over the top of you!

[MonkeyMum05]

Yep, I got the missed call last week... and called it back like a sucker! I knew it was a scam as soon as they had said I had one something... I never win anyhting!

[Rockett]

I got one yesterday.Unless I know the number I don't bother ringing back. I wonder how many people have been caught out with this scam...

[little mermaid]

Me too.... I got a call on Thursday .

[TwoBlue]

oh i got one too !!
didnt ring back though .. thanks goodness !

[PhAnToM]

I got one of those calls aswell! But i googled it b4 even thinkin about ringing them back!! Thank god for the internet!!

same here.
I first got a series of them about 9 months ago. I had googled it too. (was a strange time.. Sat evening.. 02 number... )
Got another one on Friday evening. Same number again. Very annoying.:mad:
I don't call missed numbers unless they leave a message anyway. :thumbsup:

[cwsmum]

Thanks for the warning. I never return missed calls...unless it was family calling me...DH on the other hand calls back everyone who calls him, even if he has no idea who it was and wasn't expecting any calls from strange numbers :banghead: he always has a huge phone bill coz of it :mad:

[k15s]

My DH keeps getting calls from a 02 number but when returning it the guy has no idea who he is! It's not a voice recording. Occassionally he'll get to the phone before it hangs up and it sounds as though the guy has hit redail or something 'cause he can hear background noises. Only prob is the guy always seems to call at absurd hours - before 7am and after 9pm!

[jemma's dad]

I know I posted something similar about this in the telemarketers thread, but my wife and I have both had calls from sydney and melbourne numbers like this. She made the mistake of calling one of them back on her mobile, and was then bombarded by them, having said that though, she wasn't silly enough to have called the 190 number. And the adma's do not call register doesn't work with this, as we are both registered.

[Cinta]

Wow thats interesting. Haven't had any missed calls like that but then again im in WA :)

But i only call back to numbers that i know. Friends and family. :)

[MissBrightside]

Ive had a couple of those. Was going to call back but Im too much of a tight a$$ to call an std number!:laughing:

Whats the scam about?

[MissBrightside]

Sorry razzles quote thingy about the scam wasnt there a sec ago!

[OceBel]

dh got a missed call on our home phone from someone claiming that we won something and to claim our free prize a holiday in the states to press number 9 to validate our win, and its in a american accent. ive deleted it, i dont just win anything
sick of scammers tryin to ruin ppls lives:mad: .