I’ve no idea if this is legit… came to me in the form of a ‘forward chain email’ from my Mum.
I have often wondered why people have not tried to do this before. Maybe its only just became legal (loophole?) or finically viable to do so.
Edit: This post has been getting a bunch of comments stating they know about this or have been caught out. Nasty!
If you get a missed phone call on your mobile from: (SEE BELOW LISTED NUMBERS) ... DO NOT ANSWER OR RETURN THE CALL!This is a scam for some competition whereby the caller is charged $100 for the call. Neil Mitchell from 3AW (1278) radio in Melbourne was caught out when he returned the call. Maybe store it in your phone as – DO NOT ANSWER ! Hopefully you get this email before you are caught out!”
It’s called a premium service. Very similar to the sex lines which charge a premium rate which is charged a certain amount per minute.
However these premium services also have another way of billing such as a one off payment for calling the number (such as $100).
The original idea behind these premium service numbers being introduced was things like being able to ring up for legal advice and get to chat to a lawyer for a certain rate per minute however these numbers are now mostly used by sex lines and scams like this.
Oh and I assure you this scam is very real, the warning was included in the Optus newsletter today that gets sent out to it’s employees.
Below are a list of numbers which are currently being used.
The list of phone numbers you may be pranked from:
(02) 8219 0500
(02) 8303 8320
(02) 8303 8321
(02) 8404 2201 – Rosanne, I had a missed call from this number. Was wondering who it was, but hadn’t bothered calling back.
(02) 8404 2203
(02) 8404 2213
(02) 8404 2215 – i had a missed call from this one…lucky im too stingy to call back…..KYM
(02) 8404 2235
(02) 8404 2236 – Ben & Shawna we both got calls from this number in april & may
(02) 8404 2245
(02) 8404 2296 – i got this one about 2 weeks ago! – SELINA
(02) 8404 2298
(03) 8102 9565
(03) 8558 0556
(03) 8558 1441
(03) 8558 1442
(03) 8558 1443
(03) 8558 1444
(03) 8558 1445
(03) 8558 1446
(03) 8558 1447
(03) 9540 2950
(03) 9540 5100
(03) 9540 5101
(03) 9540 5187
(03) 9540 5189 – Ben got a call from this one too.
(03) 9855 2913The company running this is called DC Marketing
Below is a link to let you know fully about this service and how it works:
http://www.4wisemonkeys.com/dc-phone-scam/
Cris Pearson from Melbourne, Australia.
Grew up in George Town, Tasmania.
CEO, co-founder, interaction + interface + graphic
+ web designer at plasq.
We are best known for Comic Life which was bundled with Millions of Apple Macs and now the much lauded, Skitch!.
Non plasq projects:
Loqalize - Open software translation web service
tequp - tech and art meetups
UI Review - Flickr group for peer UI reviews
Received a prank at 1815 hours on 19th june 2006
Phone number 02 8404 2293
Received an email a friend about this scam, with the information you provided on this page, thanks for the heads up… please add this number to your above list!
Thanks
Ryan
hey, maybe another number to add to the list – i didnt answer cos numba looked familiar!
02 8404 2216
c u bye
Yeah mad. I got a call from (02) 8404 2236
They only ring for like 2 seconds then hangup bastards!
its not quite as bad as $100 it seems. have a look here:
http://www.couriermail.news.com.au/story/0,20797,19420262-953,00.html
i saw on today tonite about this and recieed a mised call last nite from 0284042207 looking at the numbers posted i assume this is also a DC marketing prank they ranf for like 5 seconds at 11 and nite this is terrible
Hey- Got a prank from 02 8404 2289 at 10.23 pm – 22nd June
I also recieved a call from 0284042207 on the 23/06/06 at 6.10pm and it only did two rings on my mobile, as i have a brother in sydney i was thinking it might be his work number and i used my home phone to ring it and yes it is a scam. I hung up straight away and am hoping it did not cost me too much.
yeah i just answered a call from 02 8404 2207 and then came accross this site! damn!
just got a missed call from 02 8404 2207 )4/04/2006@ 3.39pm – googled it first and came across this site! definately won’t be calling back… thanks for the tip
Got a missed call from 0284042289 at 12.30am. Hadn’t heard of the scam at that point and returned the call. I checked with my phone co and it was ok because I didn’t follow the instructions on the recorded message(a dating service!!)and call the number they wanted me to call. That would have cost me $50 to leave my details and another $50 for them to call me back! So if you are desperate and dateless…BEWARE!
18:05 18th July 2006 recieved call from:
02 8404 2207
searched google for the number and came across this webpage, very helpful, lucky i didnt call back.
got one from 0284042231
what a pile of crap this is. sheesh.
spam is slowly removing the usefulness of our digital media.
really could do with some laws sometime soon
Got one from same number as Keili-0284042231
Is this not a crime? why isnt it stopped?
Cheers for the help, would have lost some money if it wasnt for this site.
Yeah, got one from 0284042231 as well. Immediate hangup. Someone outta slap these fools!
Hope the boys at 4WM get some traction.
http://www.4wisemonkeys.com/dc-phone-scam/
J
Yes, I also got one call from 0284042231 in Qld. I googled the number before ringing and found this site, where Jademan only posted it yesterday. I’m in Qld and was done before aswell.
I could have picked it up. What happens when you answer??? I didn’t answer because I didn’t recognise the number.
I got the call from 0284042231 in Sydney on 28-07-2006. Three netowrk.
i got the call from 0284042231 im melbourne on 28/Jul/2006 three network. stop it
I received a “missed No.” call while my mobile was in my hand so couldn’t understand why I heard no ringing tone. The mobile in question is an emergency phone, the number known only to myself and my two children.I immediately returned the call assuming one of them was urgently trying to contact me and perhaps using someone else’s phone. When I realised what was happening I was so angry at their method of “missed call” as I obviously would not have responded to an SMS or voice mail. I have contacted Telstra but hold out no luck after reading your information. I shall list the number in my phone so as to avoid calling them again and anxiously await my phone bill. In the time it has taken me to locate this site and submit this information, countless others have been scammed. I have a real problem accepting there is nothing that can be done to prevent this. Thank you for your info; sadly, however, no-one will be aware of it until after the event. For your info, I reside in south Sydney and received the call from (02) 84042207.
I am in QLD and got a missed call from 02 8404 2231 as well. Geez… lamo… the trick’s getting old thanks to sites like this.
There is a method to prevent this from happening, from what I’ve read so far. There was this “registry” where if you sign up, they are not legally allowed to call you anymore. Its kind of like a firewall for calling spam.
However, I am not sure if this registry is already in play or not, as I could not find more information on it. I’m really sick and tired of telemarketers and scammers calling all day long trying to make a quick buck from honest hard working people.
hi got a call from 0284042231 didnt asnwer it whew saved… am in a meeting here with other collegues and this thing came up the new scam checked it on the internet and.. there i go found the number… thanks guys…
Hey Guys..
I got 2 missed call from this number 02 84042231.
I got one call in morning and the other one just around 10:15 pm. I received this kind of call before and I thought may be some mate of mine is trying to call me from Sydney. But, as soon as I called it said “Welcome to XYZ. You have a chance to win $50 voucher” and bang I hung up. So this time I was sure that it was the same kind of call…I actually googled the number to find out whether it has anything to do with scams and I was right :-).
Thanks for info guys…
Hey guys, i got one from 0284042231 this morning at 8am lucky i googled it or i would be in big trouble by now. on three network
Got a missed call from 0284042231 at 0836 this morning, lucky I was sleeping. Also a good thing I decided to check the number oout before calling it.
Got a call from 02 8404 2231 at 8:59am on 5th August. I had the phone right next to me, saw the screen light up but it didn’t ring. The number 03 8102 9563 rang the phone ONCE at 6:48 on 4th August. This is my personal (i.e. second) phone used for private calls ONLY on the Three network. At this rate I can expect a call tomorrow!
Thank god, i didnt call back at this number (0284042231). i am very thankful for the above information.i think we should do something about it.
Hey guys you should get google to advertise this website on a large scale ive had 6 calls in the last week none of which i have answered but this sought of website could be very useful for police in preventing this sought of marketing in the future.
Hey guy’s..I’m glad I found this website before I rang back the number. I got a call from 02 8404 2231 at 6:43am! Glad I didn’t ring it back..
Bastards got me at 4:59 am… thx wankers… need to really go down there and break some “pencils”.
Sorry i forgot to add it was 02 8404 2231 =/ NSW, 3 network
This telemarketing scam is bad.. Big Time!! At 2:30am in the morning i received a phone call from telephone number (02) 8404 2231. I dont know why i didnt return the phone call this morning but i’m sure glad that i googled it before i did. Is it legal for them to call at that time of the day??
got 2 missed calls, one This morning (Wednesday 9th August) at 4.09am the number :02 8404 2231
and one on the 5th August at 1.33pm n#: 03 8102 9563- this one isnt listed but i assume it is one!
Hello to Everyone,
It seems there are a few people who are getting scammed on numbers which are only used for personal use and have not been disclosed…this leads me to believe someone is working with these criminals who actually work with the phones comapnies…maybe a syndication…what i can’t get my head around is when a bank employee decides to skim $020 of hundreds of thousands of bank accounts the feds are immediately all over them and there is always an arrest followed shortly after the investigation commences…this should be treated with a higher priority and the feds should be invloved… OH and some of these scammers have set up a system whereby even if you do not activate or answer the call or text you will be activated by default by not responding…so please don’t think you are safe if you do not answer the text…cos you are not…
Pass this on to everyone
This is simply a “heads up” email re; Mobile Phone Scams…
If you have not heard of these scams please listen if you have this is a reminder
A mate of mine has been subject to a scam from a company Sol Mobiles whereby they sent him text message on his old number to a phone he does not use…this text was self activated after 24 hours…The scam is they send a text and if it is not answered within 24 hours with a yes or no reply…they take your answer as a yes…from this point onward you start receiving text messages at a cost to you of $4.00 each time…he received 43 and now has to pay $172.00…he rang OPTUS (His phone provider) and they said they are aware of these scammers but there is nothing they can do…they told him to send a text “STOP” to the number and that should stop it…GOOD ONYA OPTUS
Its amazing the response from these phone companies when they are completely aware of these scammers and of thier comapnies they hid behind and yet do not waver the chages on your bill…isn’t that prescious…its disgusting and they should not be allowed to use the excuse of “there is nothing we can do about it, we didn’t make the call…how can they justify there crap response of dont respond to the number or contact the company and ask to be removed or deactivated…and then in the next breath say “I’m sorry mr Smith but you will have still pay for the charges…we are very sorry…
He got know where with OPTUS as expected as they have vested interest even though they were not responsible for the calls made by this scamming Company…If this happens to you and you phone provider sing the same song I suggest to ring the “Telecommunications Ombudsman” 1800 062 058 immediately and make a formal complaint against your provider…also contact ASIC 1300 300 630
I also suggest contacting your provider anyway even if you have not been stung by these assholes just so you know the policy of your provider…also check your phone bills and one more thing…remove your phone number from any chat IDs email signatures etc…cos these bastards can get your number from anywhere and touch you…
Here are some websites to view as proof this is really happening and not an urban myth
http://atariboy.com/2006/06/14/australian-mobile-phone-spam-scam this one is going to rip you $100.00
http://skit.id.au/blog/2006/01/24/mobile-call-back-spam
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies-archive.cfm/492566.html
http://wiki.media-culture.org.au/index.php/Spam-Mobilephonespam
http://www.abc.net.au/riverina/stories/s1561451.htm
http://scott.yang.id.au/2006/05/mobile-callback-scam
There are many more…so now you have been told…there are no excuses…
ASIC
http://www.asic.gov.au/asic/asic.nsf/byheadline/Complaining about companies or people?opendocument
http://www.seven.com.au/todaytonight/contact_fairgo
Final Note:
If you jump up and down when it happens and do not follow the above suggestions…then that makes you the very reason why these criminals are operating getting away these scams…don’t lay down on these assholes…take them to task I know I will
Best regards, Troy
Don’t let them beat you
I recently got one from 02284042231. Unfortunately I didn’t know any better and called back. Then when I was thinking about it today I realised it might’ve been a bad idea so I called my provider (Three) and the customer support service told me that that call was charged 50 cents. So it’s not as bad as 100 bucks but even then I know better now.
_yeah that just happened to me now.
for the past 2 weeks, i’ve been getting a missed call from this mobile number: 0406881676
and considering it was a mobile, now i have to be worried when i see a mobile # missed call.
and cause i was avoiding someone i thought it may be them but now that i wasnt avoiding them anymore i went to pick up when the number called a few minutes ago and they hung up before i could, so i called back and some weird as hell voice started talkling before i heard a ring of anykind about something and i was like what the and hung up. called 3 and they told me i was charge 55 cents for that call. it was like 2 seconds! im pretty pissed how did they get my number
add this mobile number to the list:
0410484095 they send msgs on this number.
They pretend to be from some PADSTOW CLUB, in Sydney
where ever this place is.
I have reported them to VIRGIN and they will
have to report them to the FEDERAL POLICE.
That is what i was told by my local police
in Melbourne.