Pop-up scam hits internet phone lines

.....continued from front page

FRAUDSTERS are ripping off thousands of internet users for millions of pounds by diverting their connection from their normal service provider to a premium rate or international telephone number. The scam works through 'pop-ups' - unsolicited adverts sent by the crooks which appear automatically over the front of websites as you surf the net. The pop-up box asks you if you want to download free software to aid your connection to a site.
Even if you click 'no' or close the box, software is automatically downloaded to your computer which overrides your normal dial-up number and installs the premium rate number instead.
You only find out you've been using the expensive connection - usually at £1.50 a minute - months later when you get your bill. The costly calls will either be to 09 numbers or overseas, typically to Sao Tome, a small island off the West African coast.
The premium rate regulator, Icstis, the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services, receives 2,000 to 3,000 calls a day from people caught out by these crooks.
Director George Kidd says: 'We've seen a huge increase in complaints. We will not tolerate this situation. Once we're alerted, we will shut down these numbers under our emergency procedure the next day. We're not waiting to investigate first.'

Firms known as terminating networks sell the right to use 09 numbers to other companies ranging from competition sites to those selling content such as music and adult sites. Icstis has told terminating networks these companies must pre-register with them.
'If the network can't tell us within 24 hours who the company is with an 09 or international premium rate number, we'll assume it is reckless or crooked and shut it down,' says Mr Kidd. 'If it's fraud or mischief, we'll alert the police. It's their job to tackle crime.'
BT, which has 7- pc of the home market, is bearing the brunt of these complaints. Angry customers are even threatening to sue BT for not protecting them from these scams.
Next month's phone bills to their 18 million customers will be accompanied by literature warning about this latest internet scam.
BT general manager Mark Harrop says: 'We've never had a problem of this scale or scope before. We only keep 3p to 4p per minute of the premium rate charge, but we're the ones with upset customers.
'At the moment, we're putting these disputed amounts into suspense. But we are out of pocket as we've already passed on the bulk of the money.'
You can prevent this scam from happening by installing upgrades of firewall and anti-virus software which are available on sites such as Norton and Microsoft. You should also check that your browser is on it's proper default setting. BT's own website, www.bt.com/premiumrates tells you where to get protection for your PC.

If you've been caught out, you can ask BT to bar all premium rate calls. This is free. If you want to be able to lift the bar then reblock 09 and international numbers, you can ask for a PIN to control it. This costs £1.50 a month.
You can also complain to Icstis. Its website, www.icstis.org.uk, has information about these rogue numbers and how to complain.
You are safe from this scam if you have broadband, provided you have not left your old dial-up modem connected to your telephone line.
SUSAN WESTNEDGE, 44, was horrified when her BT bill suddenly trebled from £50 to £150 in April. The reason was that the family had inexplicably made nine calls to Sao Tome in West Africa.
BT offered to freeze the disputed calls while it investigated, and Susan asked for premium rate calls to be barred. She continued to monitor her bill, only to find a premium rate call for £17 earlier this month.
Her computer is mainly used by her two daughters Sophie 16, and 13-year-old Jessica. Susan, from Great Kingshill, in Buckinghamshire, says: 'When I rang, I was told nothing had been done to prevent this continuing. I was told BT was inundated with similar complaints about fraudulent calls.
'Its service is appalling, and needless to say we've cancelled our BT Openworld account. There's no point having the internet is you're too afraid to go on it.'
BT spokesman Les King says: 'This complaint is under review and we've put call barring on. We're not complacent. We're looking at this continuously.'

Daily Mail, Wednesday, June 23, 2004