NEW PHONE SCAM - targets 087 numbers.

SuSaa

28/01/13 (11:10) - Telephone Fraud
I wish to let you know that reports have been received that a telephone scam is operating and targeting any mobile number with the prefix '087' irrespective of your telephone provider.
If you receive a telephone call from '0038681897022' (last two digits can vary), please do not ANSWER or RETURN this call as you may be charged as much as €150. This is a premium number hence the large calling fee. It is believed that this scam originates in Slovenia.
Please inform your staff, family and friends to be aware of any such calls and not to respond to any call in any way.

_Kaiser_

More on this here

It's not just 087 numbers though. I got a call from a number ending in 015 on my O2 work mobile over the weekend as well.

I never answer/return unknown numbers though as a rule so luckily I didn't get caught out.

charliesangel

Thanks for the tip off, received a call from this number on Saturday night but luckily I missed the call as it was at one o' clock in the morning. Have been wondering ever since who it was and very nearly rang them back. Glad I didn't now!

metalmonk

SuSaa wrote: »

28/01/13 (11:10) - Telephone Fraud
I wish to let you know that reports have been received that a telephone scam is operating and targeting any mobile number with the prefix '087' irrespective of your telephone provider.
If you receive a telephone call from '0038681897022' (last two digits can vary), please do not ANSWER or RETURN this call as you may be charged as much as €150. This is a premium number hence the large calling fee. It is believed that this scam originates in Slovenia.
Please inform your staff, family and friends to be aware of any such calls and not to respond to any call in any way.

Thanks for the tip.

BTW - how do you know someone could be charged as much as €150 ?

adrian522

I've an 086 number and I got called from a similar number on Saturday night. Didn't answer, though I'm not sure how you get charged for answering the call, or is the scam to make you return the call?

_Kaiser_

adrian522 wrote: »

I've an 086 number and I got called from a similar number on Saturday night. Didn't answer, though I'm not sure how you get charged for answering the call, or is the scam to make you return the call?

That's exactly it - you call back and it's a premium rate number that charges you a fortune

kirving

metalmonk wrote: »

Thanks for the tip.

BTW - how do you know someone could be charged as much as €150 ?

I heard that on the radio too, but the person probably stayed on the phone for ages, or kept calling back.

PaulieC

Stupid people need to be protected from themselves. Firstly, why would one return a call from an unknown international number ? Secondly, when one does return the call, only to discover that it's someone speaking in a foreign language, why not just hang up ? Why wait until you have clocked up 150 quids worth of charges ?
Of course it's always someone else's fault - the operator or comreg or the government or someone else. Definitely not the fault of the nosey boll1x curious souls who called the number back

TBi

PaulieC wrote: »

Definitely not the fault of the nosey boll1x curious souls who called the number back

What if you had a child who was living abroad? You might call back to see if that was them trying to contact you. You might call back repeatedly if you couldn't get through to that number or your childs phone.

Does that make it their fault that they were conned? I agree some people need to be protected from themselves, but we all need protection from unscrupulous folks sometime...

PaulieC

TBi wrote: »

What if you had a child who was living abroad?

Fair enough. In the statistically unlikely scenario that my child was in the same country as the number coming up on the phone, then I would probably ring back (after I had tried the other contact methods like their mobile/landline/Skype etc.).

Bradon

Did not know that you could be charged so much fior answering a call. Did see someone posted about it at http://www.ruscammer.com/0038681897022/index.html but not much useful comment.

biko

Yeah heard about it today, haven't had any calls though.

_Kaiser_

PaulieC wrote: »

Fair enough. In the statistically unlikely scenario that my child was in the same country as the number coming up on the phone, then I would probably ring back (after I had tried the other contact methods like their mobile/landline/Skype etc.).

The point is that at first glance it looks like a regular (0)86 number. It's only when you count the digits that you realise it's actually an international call.

Personally as I said above, I rarely if ever answer unknown or withheld numbers as it's invariably bad news If it's important though they'll leave a voicemail and then I'll call back if needed.

PaulieC

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

The point is that at first glance it looks like a regular (0)86 number. It's only when you count the digits that you realise it's actually an international call.

It doesn't really as the first 5 digits are 00386 instead of 086. And then there are another 8 digits instead of 7. But anyway, I'm with you, I never answer calls from numbers I (or my phone) don't recognize. If it's important they can leave a message.
My issue is with the people who call the number back, maybe more than once, and then go complaining to anyone who will listen and blaming everyone but themselves. Take responsibility for your own actions, don't bother ringing Joe.

papajohn12

I got the same text message from this number, asking me to call them because there's an important matter I should be aware of. Had I not Googled the phone number first, I would have had a whooping bill due to this scam. I looked up the phone number and I found out that calling back the phone number leads to a series of voice prompts and instructions and then ends with just music playing on the other end. But unknown to the victim, she's already charged a whooping amount on her phone bill for that one outgoing call because the number she called charges premium rate.

papajohn12

and I found out that several people received calls, if not text messages from this same number, too. I Googled the phone number and http://www.callercenter.com/07005103574.html displays several complaints posted by a lot of people against this scammer.

Isn't there anything the authorities can do????

leanbh

This post has been deleted.

Poor Uncle Tom

Got the text message 'call me back now plz' from the same number and the following two numbers are ringing also

00218912126285

00218911871570

Henry Ford III

Got a call from +218 91-1873180 last night. I was suspicious so didn't answer it.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

rovoagho

Bradon wrote: »

Did not know that you could be charged so much fior answering a call.

You can't, unless you're roaming. That part is nonsense.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

rovoagho

Generally, they do.

Thetruthking

You can't be charged for answering

If you get riped contact comreg

If love to know why they do it!!!