28 posts tagged “fraudwatch”

Back in August I got stung for the second time by Spread Media/Spread Mobile and their pals mBlox.  I had never chosen to do business with either company.  However, that didn't matter - they had my mobile number from somewhere and were able to repeatedly take money from my account.

Spread and mBlox got done early in 2008 for doing this to a bunch of folk, they sat out their short bar from providing such "services" and then did it again later in the year.  Un-frigging-believable eh?

No doubt the guy behind Spread will launch another company and team up with mBlox again.  I can almost guarentee it.  There's nothing to stop 'em.  The law and the regulators would appear to be on their side.  mBlox's PR just don't get it either, they joked about me kicking up such a fuss.  Well, wouldn't you if you had money stolen from you?  Okay a few quid here and there isn't the same as having your house ransacked but the principles the same.

Oh well.  Not much can be done.  None of the UK mobile operators are interested in stamping this fraud and abuse of their customers out.  My operator, H3G (aka 3UK or 3 Mobile) made it clear that I was on my own and 'good luck getting your money back' (not a direct quote, but not far off).  The police, politicians, consumer organisations and industry regulators - not one of them in the least bit interested in stopping this abuse and bringing the culprits to justice.

 

I asked Paul (the new CEO at PhonepayPlus) about what conclusions the regulator had come to regarding Spread Media's dodgy unsolicited texts in August 2008.  Below is his response...

This investigation has been ongoing since September 2008, and whilst this has been delayed for various reasons, the consumer harm was minimized by the suspension of the service by mBlox Limited prior to 9^th September 2008.

 

The investigation identified a number of potential breaches of the PhonepayPlus Code of Practice 11^th Edition (amended April 2008), and these were raised as against the service provider within a formal breach letter on 27^th January 2009. One aspect of the investigation leading to the delay was the need to appreciate precisely which company operated the service at the time of issuance of MT messages in August 2008. In light of your entry for “Subject” of this email, it is worth noting that PhonepayPlus has never at any stage dealt with Spread Media Limited in relation to this investigation. The Tribunal will consider which companies form the value chain as part of its decision.

 

mBlox have co-operated fully with this investigation. This case will be presented at the next available hearing, which is 2^nd April 2009. This is due to other cases being heard at the next Tribunal, which is sitting on 19^th March 2009.

What does one make of that?  Hmm, still digesting it.  Spread Media isn't part of the investigation, yet mBlox puts the blame on them, claiming that they themsleves are just another innocent party in all of this.  PhonepayPlus are putting all the blame on mBlox yet Paul makes it known that mBlox have co-operated fully.

Oh and what are 'MT messages' anyway?

I recently got sent a silly unsolicited email from a 'Ms.Brigitte Jacques'.  You know the kind I'm on about, some one or other has got themselves into a pickle and want a complete stranger to help them out of it.  Knowing that the humans are humans the world over, they make a point of telling the recipient that they'll be rewarded generously for their help.

So, without further ado, here's what Ms Jacques sent me:

Dearest One,
I am Ms.Brigitte Jacques 21years old, the only Daughter of Dr. Engr Coulibally Jacques from Cote d'Ivoire. I am an Orphan being that I lost my Parents. My Father was a Director General of Ghanaian Mines and Industry also the C.E.O, Diamond Groupe Drilling Company based in Abidjan, Cote D'ivoire, for 11yrs until his death in the year 2007.
My father was assassinated along side with my younger brother while i was at school, on February 12, 2007 by the rebels following the political uprising in the country.
Before his death he made a deposit of Four Million, Seven Hundred Thousands Euros ( 4,700.000) in one of the leading Bank here in Cote D'ivoire.This fund he intended to use establishing his own business.
I want you to help me in transferring this fund from the bank here to your bank account in your country or any safer place as you will be the beneficiary and recipient of the fund while i still remain the next of kin.
I am seeking for your assistance in the following ways:
1. To serve as the beneficiary of this fund since i am the next of kin
2. Can i completely trust you?
Moreover, i am willing to offer you 20% of the total sum as compensation for your effort/ input after the successful transfer of this fund to your country overseas.
I have plans to do investment in your country, like real Estate, Industrial production etc. Please if you are willing to assist me, indicate your interest in replying soonest through my private email address jacques_brigitte2009@yahoo.co .jp
Thanks and best regards.
Ms. Brigitte Jacques.

Seriously, does anyone actually fall for these things?  Oh wait, they do - that's why we all get bombarded by this nonsense!  Now for my completely fecking stupid reply...

Hey Brigitte,

It's a real bummer that you're an orphan. I used to be one too. I'm always losing things though and then finding them, then losing them again. That's why I've now had my parents tagged and chipped with GPS.

I once had Ghanaian. Mine, however, cleared up with some cream applied liberally for two weeks.

I'm always being called a rebel. Well not so much now but all the time as a teenager. I was a very rebellious youth - going to school with my shirt NOT tucked in and NOT wearing a tie! I know, I know! I was a BAD boy. I didn't assassinate anyone, but I did shoot the deputy head (with a spit ball!)

To be honest Brigitte, I'm not sure you can trust me. Why? Well I once ate some of the Woolies Pick 'n' Mix whilst I was scooping it up (hence I didn't pay for it all!) Quite possibly I'm the reason they collapsed. If you can forgive me, I'm sure I can forgive myself.

Cheers dude,
Tone Loc

Surely Ms Jacques won't reply to such utter nonsense?  You'd think 'she' wouldn't, but 'she' did...

Dearest One,
 
Thanks so much for your response to my mail, hope you are in good condition of health. I also thank you so much for your willingness to help me over this transaction. Please i will want you to keep this transaction very confidential for security reasons.
 
However, i have visited the bank where my late father deposited the funds in order to get all the needed informations concerning the transferring of my funds to your bank account in your country, of which the bank manager has has advised me on what to do. He adviced me that first of all i should come along to their bank with you full informations in order to sign a letter of nomination / authorisation with their bank on your behalf as my new appointed beneficiary that will receive my funds in your country, so it will empower their remittance department to transfer my funds into your bank account in your country.
 
So all you need to do after reading my mail is to send me your full names and address together with your direct telephone number, so it will enable me sign the letter of nomination / authorisation with the bank on your behalf, so it will enable the bank transfer my funds into your bank account in your country.
 
Finally, as soon as possible i receive your full informations as i requested from you, i will visit the bank and sign the letter of nomination / authorisation with the bank on your behalf,and also give you the full contact address of the bank, so it will enable you contact with the bank directly for the transferring of my funds.
 
I am looking forward to read from you,thanks and best regards.
 
Your's sincerely,
Brigitte Jacques.

According to RSA, us folk from Blighty have foolishly become the most successfully phished in the world.  Okay, it's not just down to foolishness, it's also down to how are banking system works.  Apparently is some aspects it works quite quickly (oops, just spat something at the screen!)

Seriously though, most phishing emails stand out as they're so badly done. Who on earth falls for these? Those people shouldn't be allowed to have a bank account or access to the interweb!  That'd help solve that problem, although it would create other ones...

Ho hum.

(Found via IT Pro: Banks blamed as British lead the world on phishing)

Poor old Florian Demuth, Customer Services Advisor at PhonepayPlus.  I gave the poor fellow quite a hard time last year regarding the times I was scammed by unsolicited reverse-rate SMS cowboys.  Firstly I recorded every conversation and, to comply with the law, told him as such.  Secondly I ranted and er, ranted, about the whole sordid industry his organisation supposedly 'regulated'.

He did quite well sticking to the script but you could tell he was holding back from saying some things.  There was always a slight hint that, deep down, he loathed the industry and was clearly not in the right job (which, amongst other things includes defending the indefensible).

Anyway, with all this talk about PhonepayPlus at the moment, I came across an interview in the regulator's own newsletter where the chappie (which, I must admit, until now I thought was a lady!) admitted the following:

The vast majority of complaints are related to reverse-charged text messages consumers state to be unsolicited.

That's right folks, the vast majority of complaints are because people have been charged for something they never asked for!  No amount of 'educating the customer' will help in this matter.  In many (I'd wager, most) of these cases the company responsible will have deliberately chosen to steal money from mobile subscriber's accounts in what would, in any other industry, be classed as theft or fraud.

I spent many months, sent many emails, made many calls, posted dozens upon dozens of stories related to the theft from my account and only after all of that, the company responsible, mBlox*, finally gave me a cheque for £10.  I wonder how much they've pocketted through fellow victims not knowing or giving up trying to get the money stolen recovered?

Of course, in the premium rate industry, those that work for the regulator also work for the companies responsible!  It's that cosy, and the rewards are great.

*mBlox helped Spread Media carry out this fraud.  mBlox may claim that it had nothing to do with them, they were just the conduit (or some such thing) but this was far from the first time the two companies worked together and ended up doing the same thing.

PhonepayPlus or, as I like to call them PeePeePlus, are in the news again. The regulator in charge of cleaning up a dirty industry is attempting to clean up it's own act but, quite frankly, is not going nearly far enough.  The funny thing being that no one thinks they're doing a good job - whether they're in the industry or just unwitting helpless victims of it.

So, without much further ado, some recent news stories across the interweb that my Google News found for me...

The Register: PhonepayPlus gets stern on pricey premium raters

If I can steal some quotes from PeePeePlus that The Reg has um, quoted:

some companies have adopted practices which are leading to increased consumer complaints

The consumer cannot be charged until they have confirmed their subscription by replying to that text

There are many innovative, useful and fun services available to consumers via their mobiles

A majority of industry respondents were sceptical of the need for subscription services to seek active consumer confirmation, on the grounds that this could cause consumer confusion and adversely affect sales

Good to see PeePeePlus pussy-footing around what those companies they regulate get up to.  Those 'practices' that these companies have adopted would be, in any properly regulated industry, illegal.  Very few premium rate services are run in a fair and honest way.  And, very few are offering a worthy service.

Common sense and best business practice would've suggested consumers should only get a service that they've opted in for.  Had this been the case last year, Spread Media LTD wouldn't have been able to steal money from me and thousands of others.

And of course the industry doesn't want any measure that will lead to scam artists and rogue businesses earning any less.  The big 'legit' aggregators/service providers make way too much money from them to truly want the industry cleaned up.  Just look at how the world's largest mobile transaction network, mBlox, keeps teaming up with folk they know to be scamming the public.  They don't care that innocent parties have had money effectively stolen from them and they don't care that they pocket part of the proceeds of such scams.  Just look at how much time and effort I had to put in before mBlox compensated me with the grand sum of £10!

IntoMobile: UK: New measures issued for Mobile phone services’ marketing and payment

Mobile Entertainment: PhonepayPlus hits back at criticism

..and another nugget from M.E.: Could the new PhonepayPlus rules be flawed?

Oh and that's not a 'is it flawed for consumers?' but a 'is it flawed for the grubby companies in this grubby industry of ours?' by the looks of things.

The author of this article admits that the wife got sent an unsolicited text and they were happy enough to just send 'STOP' back.  It looks like neither the author, nor his wife, actually checked their bills.  Had they done, they'd have realised why people aren't happy with the industry and why there's a need for, at the very least, the measures PeePeePlus have now put in place.  In my mind, from my experierence and that of other victims I've heard about, these measures are too little too late.  This industry needs a full overhaul!

Tougher action has come from another regulator PhonepayPlus, which monitors premium content. After a doubling of complaints related to mobile services in the past year, it has issued new rules. Anyone signing up to a subscription service which charges more than £4.50 ($6.25) in any given week (including joining costs) must first receive, and reply to, a free confirmation message outlining the cost and conditions of the service. And content providers wanting to offer such services must first apply to PhonepayPlus.

Link to full article here: Regulators bid for more influence on both sides of the pond

It's good to see that the news is spreading about how complaints (and, as such, presumably fraud) is on the increase.  Only if we complain more and demand action, will we see this kind of fraud and/or business practice stamped out for good.

...and yesterday, and possibly the day before (heck, I should've just said 'week'!)

Mobile Industry Review PhonepayPlus: The dinner lady of the UK mobile industry

CBBC Tough new rules for phone pests

Mobile Entertainment PhonepayPlus 'Why we had to act against abuses'

and Mobile Entertainment again... New rules for UK mobile providers

And if you want expert analysis, well placed cynicism, some laughs and lots of dirt undug I wholeheartedly recommend The Scream's 'General Telco' forum here

This could quite possibly turn out to be the best day ever!  Why?  Er, did you not see the title of this post of mine?  I've won half a million dollars from Nokia!  It's still sinking in, I can hardly believe it... You know what?  I don't believe it!  Why the fudge would Nokia UK run a promotion from Thailand and give me US dollars as a prize?  Why would they make it look so amateurish?

Why?  Because they wouldn't.  It is quite clearly a scam.  Fortunately it's done so badly that only a complete and utter idiot would fall for it and, really, is that such a bad thing?  It's Darwin but with money and not your life (now I'm singing Adam Ant in my head... nooooo!)

Just in case you're a complete moron, I've usefully highlighted a few things that seem amiss, such as really bad grammar (I know, pot and kettle!) and how the UK NOKIA PROMOTER is based in Thailand for some unknown reason.  Of course, with outsourcing, big companies do locate whole swathes of their people all over the world - but they never make us dial a foreign number to talk to their foreign call centre!

Only a single CONGRATULATION from Mr Moore then?  I guess he has to conserve them as, from a quick Google, I discovered I was far from alone in winning the 500k!

Now let's look at the WHOIS for nokiawebonline...

...and now for what nokiawebonline.com looks like:

I just wonder how many people fall for this kinda thing.  It clearly jumps out to me as a scam, however others have clearly been taken in - at least judging from what I've read online about this (some accounts are from two years ago, so it's been going on a while too!)

I hate spam, but I especially loathe phishing spam!  In an ideal world they'd be none.  As we're not living in an ideal world I can only hope that those responsible for this crud end up in Gitmo (well they need to find another use for it after the current detainees vacate it).

Would a real email from Amazon look anything like this?  Er no!  So not a very good phishing email.  Google Mail even suspects (quite rightly) that this is a fraud.  If I was still unsure I would go to Amazon's site myself and see if my account was working okay or not.