26-02-2012, 12:30
A while ago i received a text from shortcode 857222 stating that some 'hotty' called Beth had a video message to download at a particular website and that replies cost 1.50 a minute.there was a number to text stop to stop recieving messages but since I had not subscribed to any service and had no intention of folllowing the link just ignored it.
Last night received another text the same and this was followed by a message from Orange saying my credit was low and sure enough these texts were reverse charge texts costing 1.50 a time.
a bit of research revealed thet the number was used by a company called Winplc and that these texts were quite commonplace and although npt strictly speaking 'legal' phone companies and watchdogs were reluctant to do anything much about it.Ther is some debate about whether these scammers generate random numbers or get them from other organisation selling them on.
I have used the stop instruction and we will see if that works and have phoned customer services to inform them they will be reported to Ofcom and Phonepayplus but I doubt this will bother them since research also revealed they have already been fined not once,not twice but 34 times for'accidently' sending unsolicited reverse texts.
so just be aware if you get these texts ignoring them is not enough.
Last night received another text the same and this was followed by a message from Orange saying my credit was low and sure enough these texts were reverse charge texts costing 1.50 a time.
a bit of research revealed thet the number was used by a company called Winplc and that these texts were quite commonplace and although npt strictly speaking 'legal' phone companies and watchdogs were reluctant to do anything much about it.Ther is some debate about whether these scammers generate random numbers or get them from other organisation selling them on.
I have used the stop instruction and we will see if that works and have phoned customer services to inform them they will be reported to Ofcom and Phonepayplus but I doubt this will bother them since research also revealed they have already been fined not once,not twice but 34 times for'accidently' sending unsolicited reverse texts.
so just be aware if you get these texts ignoring them is not enough.