James C Posted December 25, 2003 Share Posted December 25, 2003 My wife got a text today telling her that she had a new "BPQ voicemail mesage", and to call a phone number to listen to it. Just in case anyone else got this and was tempted, a quick check on Google brings up posts complaining that the number costs £20.00 per minute to call, and you can take up to 10 minutes realising that it's a scam!!! While I'm sure everyone here would be as wary as I, it might be worth passing this on to less-streetwise family and friends, who may be excited that they've got an unexpected voicemail from someone over Christmas...Wonder how many £200s they've earned from excited, expectant people today...B**T***S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyMitchell Posted December 27, 2003 Share Posted December 27, 2003 looks like that is a hoax, check out this link...http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/34349.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James C Posted December 29, 2003 Author Share Posted December 29, 2003 errrm...anyone fancy trying to ring the number on the text message my wife was sent to see how much it costs them? I didn't receive an email warning me about this, I can only vouch for the existence of the text message - as to the consequences of ringing it, I couldn't find "BPQ" on The Register, but did find tales of it elsewhere on the net. So I am certanly not irresponsibly starting a hoax here, and nor am I passing one on that arrived via spam...you pays your money, you takes your chances... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted December 30, 2003 Share Posted December 30, 2003 To my (slightly cynical) way of thinking, anyone who's gullible enough to call any old 0871 (or other premium rate) number which pops up in an anonymous text message telling them that they've 'won' a 'competition' that they don't even remember entering, despite all the horror stories floating around re. phone scams and rip-offs, deserves everything they get .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lightnix Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 ...anyone who's gullible enough...Afraid I have to agree there :huh: This sounds like a variation on a very well-worn scam. I had quite a persistant one recently, which invited me several times to call some 09xxx number, in order to claim a "prize". Worth mentioning though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 I have found that registering numbers with the telephone preference service helps, also, if you complain to them about any of these messages then they will investigate and get rid of companies etc (I know of one complaint that I made which resulted in a fine -I hadn't called the number b4 you ask!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 I have found that registering numbers with the telephone preference service helpsTo an extent, yes, in that the volume of sales calls I've been getting since registering has reduced. The trouble is, having registered with the TPS, if you get a nuisance call that you want the TPS to follow up you need the name, address and phone no. of the company that called you. The problem with that is the lobotomised muppets who staff the outbound call centres - when they call in the middle of Coronation Street and you explain that they really shouldn't have done so because they've just earned their employers a lumpy fine, and you ask for the details of the company they're calling on behalf of, you can almost hear their struggling, shrivelled, malnourished brains going into meltdown because they simply can't compute a request which deviates so drastically from the script that's on the screen in front of them. This is usually followed by them hanging up without saying another word. 1471 invariably reveals a withheld number, so there's very little you can actually do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lightnix Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 BT also do a (subscription) service called "Choose To Refuse". If you receive a call you don't want, just dial up a number, enter your PIN Code and the last number that called you will never be able to do so again, even if it was witheld. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lena Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 BT also do a (subscription) service called "Choose To Refuse". If you receive a call you don't want, just dial up a number, enter your PIN Code and the last number that called you will never be able to do so again, even if it was witheld. That's a good idea, does anyone know if telewest do a similar thing? Their web site is not very informative. I regularly get calls from a holiday company in Florida offering me a break at the hotel I filled a questionniare out during my last stay in Florida. But I have never been to Florida. I often wonder how they know my full name and address, but they are always unable to tell me, and despite promising to remove me from their data base they keep calling. The weirdest thing is that they, and others that phone can really insist that you filled out something to get a call from them. Do the people that work in those call centres know that they are simply lying to the people they call? I wonder how they muster so much conviction and enthusiasm for something that is just made up to con people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dentos Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 I got that text message aswell.... I just deleted it straight off, I have only got about £4 worth of credit on my phone at the moment anyway so I didnt stand to lose that much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lightnix Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 If it's an American company that's annoying you, you could try filling in a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Consumer Complaint Form, although I'm not sure what effect they have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinchyuk Posted January 10, 2004 Share Posted January 10, 2004 Hi, I found this site with more info: http://www.07text0spam.com/updates.php - it looks like the 0906 number can be charged at any rate, but I heard from a friend that he only got charged £1.50 a minute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo Posted January 10, 2004 Share Posted January 10, 2004 The 090 series tops out at £2.00 per minute. That's the most a mobile phone operator will charge you anyway - haven't found figures for 090 band 3 on a landline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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