*Beware* Postal Scam!

[uvarvu]

I've no idea if there even is a limit. I've seen plenty of adverts that charge £1.50/min and have a "minimum charge amount: 20 minutes" in the small print, or other arbitrary time.

I just looked at the FAQ for PhonepayPlus and found this list of charges. It seems that any rate could be charged with an 091 number which is scary.

09 numbers
0900/ 0901
Call cost up to 60p per minute with a maximum call cost of £5.00; or fixed cost up to £1.00 per call
0904
Open-ended at any cost per minute; or fixed cost per call at any rate
0905
Open-ended at any cost per minute; or fixed cost per call at any rate
09059
Live multi-party chat services costing up to 60p per minute
0906
Open-ended at £1.50 per minute.
0907
Pay-for-product services costing more than £1.00
0908/ 0909/ 098
Adult services at any rate, ranging from 10p to £1.50
091
Open-ended at any cost per minute; or fixed cost per call at any rate.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

My wife ( NHS nurse ) got this email this week through work. I informed her last night that it was rubbish and it was not possible to "scam" anyone out of that kind of money through a phone call and that the same email had been doing the rounds for years.

Did she listen ?

Everybody in the office at my hospital in Stoke got it too and I had to explain to about 20 women it was all rubbish.

 

[reflux]

My mum just got pwned by this... it's doing the rounds where she works. All it takes is a Google to work out whether something's legit or not *sigh*

 

[iamdjdz]

Obligatory nice post:
Postal scam chain email 2010 – PhonepayPlus’ statement

17/11/2010 00:00:00

PhonepayPlus, the phone-paid services regulator, is aware that a chain e-mail about an alleged postal scam is being circulated on the internet. The email refers to the Royal Mail, Trading Standards and ICSTIS (PhonepayPlus' former name).

*
PhonepayPlus appreciates that recipients of the email may want to find out more information about the alleged scam and has therefore issued the following statement:
*
The chain email refers to a service (operating on 0906 6611911 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0906 6611911 end_of_the_skype_highlighting) that was shut down by PhonepayPlus (then ICSTIS) in December 2005.
*
PhonepayPlus subsequently fined the company that was operating the service, Studio Telecom (based in Belize), £10,000.
*
The service is NO LONGER running and has NOT been running since December 2005.
*
You do NOT need to contact PhonepayPlus, or the Royal Mail, about this service as it was stopped almost four years ago.
*
If you receive a copy of the email warning you about the alleged scam, please do NOT forward it to others. Instead, please forward this statement from PhonepayPlus.
*
If you receive a delivery card through your letterbox which you do not believe is genuine and which asks you to dial a premium rate number, you can contact PhonepayPlus on 0800 500 212 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0800 500 212 end_of_the_skype_highlighting (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) for further guidance.
*
Please go to http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/output/FAQ.aspx for useful information about how to recognise phone-paid services and understand what they cost, and some simple tips to help you enjoy using services with confidence.
*
For more detailed information about PhonepayPlus’ work, please visit www.phonepayplus.org.uk.

 

[misterPK]

Sorry for the bumpage, but I've just had this email here at work sent to the entire company after one of the GMs recieved it from someone in the Met Police Counter Terrorism unit. It's gonna be fun replying with the phone pay plus statement!

PK!

 

[Dj_Jestar]

That notice is a scam.. it's almost 5 years ago, not 4 ;p