8 posts tagged “the scream”

As always, the guys over at The Scream's forums have done a cracking job of digging the dirt and un-spinning the crappola that comes from those in the premium rate industry and the so-called regulator.

These recent posts really are worth checking out:

• Carry on stealling: the latest PhonepayPlus adjudications
• mblox not cited in latest PP+ adjudications - no really!
• Phonepayplus/Aime: The mass-debaters
• Phonepayplus publish new scammers charter
• Premium Rate Fraud: Regulatory loopholes or Government arseholes
• Suhail Bhat(MEF) alarming response to Paul Whiteing(Phonepayplus)
• George Kidd (formerly) of PhonepayPlus lies and lies on camera

Good work (as usual) fellas! Kudos to mike99 and El Gringo for the above (and Hamlet as well for help in the past).  Keep up the good work.

The Mirror does a pretty good job too, can't really forget them as they're the only mainstream news outlet in the UK that reports on these scams and investigates the dodgy goings on between regulated and regulator.

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.

You've gotta love the interweb and folk like del hombre 'El Gringo' over at The Scream's forums.  He not only dug deep, but presented the evidence well.

I thoroughly recommend checking it out: Mobile Privacy Service: £1.50 con to use TPS - That's the service run by scammers who themselves send out unsolicited crap (mostly of an 'adult' nature and often without any indication it's a premium message from a company, not a person).

mBlox, the 'world's largest mobile transaction network'* is also, apparently, the UK's most adjudicated 'mobile transaction network' by "regulator" (I use the term loosely) PhonepayPlus.

mBlox might be a legitimate outfit, but I tend to judge companies like people - by the company they keep!

Source: The Scream

*self proclaimed

...shame these scams don't interest UK's law enforcement, the Government or any consumer body*.

Found this via my friends over at The Scream:

VZW’s proposed text-fee increase still being digested

*To be fair, I've had the odd visitor in the last week from some of these organisations and they've taken a keen interest in my posts about PRS scams and bad regulation.  Hi guys!

From Mad.co.uk via The Scream:

Orange's head of mobile advertising and third-party services Steve Ricketts, "What we need is a more proactive approach from PhonepayPlus and a crackdown on services that are breaching its rules."

The future's bright.  The future's Orange

Normally I recommend 3.  They have the best deals, cheap internet and some fine handsets.  And despite what you may hear from some naysayers, their coverage (at least in areas where I used it - London and the South East) knocks spots of the competition.

Why would I not recommend them now?  Well I'm not, not recommending them, if that makes sense - but if you're a parent or a student you should think about going for a network that allows you to block fraudsters from stealing from you.

Who offers such a wonderful service?  Why it's T-Mobile (although they probably won't tell you they do, at least not on the phone to the regular drones in the call centres).  I did also, accidently as may turn out, recommend Vodafone yesterday as they announced they were putting a similar block on these reverse charge premium rate scams.  Looks like I shot the gun there, at least according to The Mirror's Penman & Sommerlad Investigate

Tom from Vodafone, he say YES!

I found* this announcement from Vodafone regarding them now letting their phone customers bar premium rate SMSs.  I could be mistaken but I believe they're only UK operator to offer this.  I could say it's about time, but I don't want to spoil the moment.  Instead, I'll say kudos to you Voda!

You know what?  If they are the only ones offering this I've got to say I recommend parents buy their offspring Vodafone PAYG handsets.  At least with Voda you have one less thing to worry about.  I'd love it if 3 followed suit, as I think they offer better services and prices but until they do, I can't.

*From the excellent The Scream forum which I've just joined.  User "Cormoran" being the screamer  one that posted it.