Premium rate scam that can net £40 a minute

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INTERNET pirates are making millions of pounds by diverting the connections of thousands of home computers on to rip-off premium rate lines.Families are being landed with massive bills after rogue operators secretly plant their Internet connection software on their computers. This software, known as 'Trojan dialler', effectively diverts Internet connection telephone calls via premium rate lines charging up to £40 a minute. Tory MP Sir George Young and Labour's Derek Wyatt have joined forces with other MPs to demand action by th Government and telephone watchdogs. 'We believe there is a criminal scam going on here and we are concerned that the regulatory mechanism may be inadequate for the task', they said. Normally, families make a Web connection via a specific Internet service provider, such as BT or AOL, which dials into a low cost telephone number. However, the rogues find a way of hijacking this process so that Internet access is diverted via one of their own premium rate numbers. The UK watchdog responsible for policing premium rate lines, ICSTIS, has proved totally incapable of tackling

 the con and tracking down the villains, many of whom are based over seas. The rogue companies get their money through BT once the phone bills are paid. The MPs are angry that BT has failed to make any serious effort to protect customers. In fact BT is profiting from the fraud because it takes around 6p a minute from the premium rate phone lines. Simply clicking on to a website to download a piece of music or play a game can trigger a download of the 'Trojan dialler' on to a home computer. One family found their computer had been hijacked while their 12-year-old daughter, Hannah, was surfing the Net. The problem was only identified when a BT official called and warned the family that they had run up a £462 bill in a week. Hannah's father, Paul Newman, from Chingford, North-East-London, said he was advised by BT to contact ICSTIS for help. 'I have been trying to reach them time and time again, but the number is constantly engaged,' he said. 'It's got to the ridiculous situation where I have had to send a letter to them, asking them what is going on. BT is demanding that I pay the bill, but I don't think that can be right. They should be investigating something which is clearly a scam, rather than chasing the victims for money. BT is saying it is not their fault and I should keep an eye on my

daughter's use of the computer. But I really don't think she has done anything wrong.' ICSTIS has been swamped with complaints and spokesman Richard Sullivan admitted the watchdog's 15 helpline staff had been overwhelmed. Mr Sullivan said: 'Where we do find fraud, we are taking swift action to close down the phone lines involved.' A spokesman from BT said the company could not take a unilateral decision to shut down suspected premium rate phone lines without an official order either from ICSTIS or the main telecom watchdog Ofcom. Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb yesterday wrote to the Trade Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, calling on her to tackle the menace. 'Thousands of Internet users are being affected by this latest scam,' he said. 'It is a criminal offence and the crminals should be tracked down and prosecuted. At the very least, foreign operators should lodge a bond in the UK before allowed to operate in this country, so that customers in the UK can be reimbursed if they suffer fraudulent charges.'

Daily Mail, Tuesday, June 29, 2004