Warning - Phone Scam

[daveb8]

Sorry if this has been covered already... i couldnt find nething though

Anyways, i have had a few phone calls from a number in sydney to my mobile. what happens is the phone rings once then stops, leaving a missed call. i didnt call the number back but i did google it and found a thread on another forum all about it with a stack of people having the same call. the people that got the same call and did call it back said they got a recorded message saying they had won a free gift. to redeem the gift call 1900.... (what they dont tell you is its $2.97/min (higher rate from a mobile) and the call lasts just over 4mins so it costs at least $14.85). what they also dont tell you is the gift is 10 free ringtones, and after those 10 have been received you are offered to subscribed to the 'service' which is 1 ringtone a week for $4/week until you unsubscribe. nice eh?

the number called me was 0385581441 but it could also be 0282190500 or 0385581442 or 0385581443 or 0385581444 and there are probably more.

want some proof? there is this government press release http://www.docep.wa.gov.au/Corporate..._bill_wit.html

and this news paper article http://www.smh.com.au/news/technolog...387575233.html

want to know who's doing it? there are a few companies coming up one of which is tc marketing and another called dc marketing.

you can find out about tc marketing here but i am not completely sure they are related http://www.tcmarketing.de/pageID_1290054.html

dc marketing are definitely related but dont have a site. they have however made a website for their crap which is http://www.vrpan.com/. that site has the terms and conditions which is interesting. well they tell you how to stop further marketing at least: "If you should NOT agree with your mobile phone number being used for further marketing purposes, please send an E-Mail to the address below, including your mobile phone number and "NO MARKETING" in the subject" the address being gift@vrpan.com

the other forum i mentioned has now removed the thread because of "ongoing legal threats" but google cached it so you can see it here if u like http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache...u&ct=clnk&cd=2

i once managed to answer my phone before they hung up and straight away the prick on the other end goes "sorry wrong number" and hung up.

oh yeah if ur wondering how they get numbers its just random from what the people on the other thread said. hope this helps some people out

[hakhawk]

yup, had this a few times, i did exactly the same thing, googled it. found that exact whingepool thread aswell, but it wasnt removed when i found it.

would be good to stop these guys outright, or really get them back somehow.

[Garth]

got a few numbers here also they used
03 85580556 and 02 83038320, both on my phone, both are anoying, ring once, and hang up, people call back, and get stung

[tr3nt]

Yeah, I despise phone scams, get a phone call I miss.. I ring it back, if it's not a person to person call, I hang up.. that goes for recorded scams, voicemail etc. if it's someones voice I know, I will send a sms saying I called and ring back whenever.

[daveb8]

a thought that just occured to me - what "ongoing legal threats" could have possibly been made to the whirlpool forum? i really hope JC doesnt get threats...

[Juzza]

I don't know about legal threats, but I do know I hate mobile phone companies, sure they provide a service, but they severely overcharge for that service and target kids -> young teens with their commercials on in the morning, and they've practicly taken over Foxtel..

I mean come on, it would be cheaper to go to itunes or whatever, pay for your song you want as a ringtone (or be a pirate) and make it into a 30 second clip and data cable it to the phone

I mean these days most phones come with a data cable like my Nokia N70, and it let's me just send crap straight to the phone for absolutely nothing, and I use bluetooth to swap stuff with people for free

I just guess I'm having a big rant lol
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