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Text Message Scam
N-I-C-K
07-04-2004
Hi,

I got a text message today as follows:

You have won a guaranteed £2000 award or even £1000 cash to claim UR award call free on 0800 040 71XX (18+) *

I called the number because i had nothing to lose (since it was a free call) and this guy answered and ask me if i had a pen and paper handy... He then went on to say, please ring 09............ (I put the phone down before he had chance to say the 3rd number.)

I then knew it was one of those stupid cash-draw things, ring a £1.50 a min 0900 number stay on the line for 10 minutes and get up in a cash draw e.c.t..

How can these companys get away with this.... Saying you have won a guaranteed £2000 award.... it's a scam.

ANyone else get this text message.

* I left the last 2 digits out just in case i get acused of spam/advertising.
Paul_7
07-04-2004
Not had this message, but do get the occasional spam to my Orange phone.

As of November last year, it is illegal to for companies in the UK to send unsolicited texts. I'm registered on TPS, and still get the occasional one. Orange offer a service where you can forward spam texts on to them - simply forward it to SPAM (7726). They will pass on premium rate scams to ICSTIS. Being on TPS, these companies are risking hefty fines.

As you are a Vodafone user, you can forward to 87726. Not sure if the other networks offer a similar service.
flagpole
08-04-2004
there is quite a long thread on this...

http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/...d.php?t=112120
paul-white
09-04-2004
Originally Posted by Nick Grant:
“Hi,

I got a text message today as follows:

You have won a guaranteed £2000 award or even £1000 cash to claim UR award call free on 0800 040 71XX (18+) *

I called the number because i had nothing to lose (since it was a free call) and this guy answered and ask me if i had a pen and paper handy... He then went on to say, please ring 09............ (I put the phone down before he had chance to say the 3rd number.)”

Yes, I got a very similar one sent to a spare phone back in January or February.

I actually called the 0800 number and asked for the name of the company and the name of the Manageing Director so that I could complain in writing about the text message. I got passed to a supervisor who refused to give me the MD's name but did give me the name of the company. He then went on to explain that the call to the 0906 number was charged at £1.50 per minute, maximum call length 6 minutes. The prize he said, was guaranteed. I asked him how they could afford to give such prizes away for such little outlay from me. He then explained that due to my credit rating with companies that I have dealt with I have earnt a number of points that give me this prize.

I explained that the number the text message had been sent to had never been given to anyone at all as it was a spare phone so how could any company link my name with that paricular phone number? I always give out another mobile number to people who may need to call me. He didn't really have an answer so we decided to call it a day when I said that I had already reported his operation via a website and sarcastically wished him luck finding a new job.

A fascinating conversation and some very clever people well versed in discussion and argument but he didn't fool me. It's a shame that these messages are still being sent though.
N-I-C-K
09-04-2004
I bet i can guess what the prize will be.....

A crappy 35mm camera with a RRP of £49.99, but nobody would even pay 50p for the cheap plastic crap.

Or £200 holiday vouncers, if you book your holiday within the next few months, at a certain place miles from you and spend over £2500.
David Boreanaz
09-04-2004
I have 4 or 5 of these on the same number.

Incidently i have 2 numbers. Nothing on my other one
cybersquatter
09-04-2004
I had one the other day, but i noticed the address of the company it purported to come from, which they put at the end of the message, was a PO box in Spain. I wonder if this is to get around TPS/Ofcom restrictions.
Pingu
09-04-2004
I got one on my o2 phone the other day:
Quote:
“Someone has contacted our dating service and has entered your phone because they fancy you! To find out who it is call from a landline 09111030419.PoBox12n146tf150”

I guess the last part is just junk to avoid detection systems?
timboy
09-04-2004
Originally Posted by Pingu:
“I got one on my o2 phone the other day:


Someone has contacted our dating service and has entered your phone because they fancy you! To find out who it is call from a landline 09111030419.PoBox12n146tf150

I guess the last part is just junk to avoid detection systems?”

My mate and I got exactly the same message the other day. My mate actually fell for it and called up. We are both on o2.

What happens is they ask for your mobile number and then the number of the person that you think 'fancies you'. I reckon they are just trying to get a list of numbers that they know are working mobiles.
stevendale123
16-04-2004
I have also had this 2 times in the few weeks

Someone has contacted our dating service and has entered your phone because they fancy you! To find out who it is call from a landline 09111030419.PoBox12n146tf150

i have just got a new one the past few days

447969842323: hello im really fit!!! guess who??? call 0780052680 to find out who i am... love ya hunny! XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
MDX
16-04-2004
my mate got one saying it was from 3 and to ring this number cos he has won £5000 in prizes cos of it been easter, so he rung it and he said it sounded just like the 3 voice mail so he stayed on the line and gave his address and name and all that and then it finished and said you will receive your prizes in 45 days and at thos point i thought ahhh hes been done over.

this is he rang it back again and i listened to the voice and it is the exact same voice as the 3 mail.

i told him 2 ring 3 and ask them if they had any give aways but he aint yet
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