Scam Text - Anyone else get them?

Custardpi

Just got a text from a number I didn't recognise saying "Call me please it's urgent". Was about to call the sender, thinking it was a friend who'd lost their mobile or something when I thought to double check the number - 00247101123. Turns out the code 247 is for Ascension Island. Reckon it's one of those scams where if you call you're connected to a premium line & they make a few euro off you. Has anyone else received a similar text?

Vito Corleone

Maybe your friend is trapped on Ascension Island?

The Backwards Man

Email the Ascension Island police and ask them what's up. There's only about 12 people living on it so I'm sure they'll know.

Apparently a set of earphones have been handed in. Maybe it's Teddy?

Stavros Murphy

Vito Corleone wrote: »

Maybe your friend is trapped on Ascension Island?

Lassie will be feck all use so. Bit far for Skippy too. "What's that Skip, Peter's trapped down a well on Ascension Island? Well tough cheese on Peter, eh."

Custardpi

Seriously though lads the likelihood of one of my friends being there & not mentioning it is pretty much zero so reckon this looks like one of those mass texting scams. Unwary people, particularly the elderly might call the number back without thinking & end up getting fleeced so no harm to give folk a heads up about it.

LynnGrace

Custardpi wrote: »

Just got a text from a number I didn't recognise saying "Call me please it's urgent". Was about to call the sender, thinking it was a friend who'd lost their mobile or something when I thought to double check the number - 00247101123. Turns out the code 247 is for Ascension Island. Reckon it's one of those scams where if you call you're connected to a premium line & they make a few euro off you. Has anyone else received a similar text?

Yes, I received it, and know of others who did.
It is a scam. I didn't even notice the message for hours the time I got it, but wouldn't have been calling the number anyway.

The Backwards Man

Custardpi wrote: »

Seriously though lads the likelihood of one of my friends being there & not mentioning it is pretty much zero so reckon this looks like one of those mass texting scams. Unwary people, particularly the elderly might call the number back without thinking & end up getting fleeced so no harm to give folk a heads up about it.

I drum it into everybody I know not to ring back numbers they don't know.

kneemos

Never had a wrong number or text since I went to Three.

Custardpi

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I drum it into everybody I know not to ring back numbers they don't know.

Sadly you're only one man. Not everyone will have the opportunity to avail of your wisdom.

Donkey Oaty

Custardpi wrote: »

Turns out the code 247 is for Ascension Island.?

You could complain to the British Embassy, and I'm not joking.

Banjo String

kneemos wrote: »

Never had a wrong number or text since I went to Three.

Why, no coverage? :pac:

Chr15

Yep... just got it on my work phone.

Chr15

Chr15 wrote: »

Yep... just got it on my work phone.

Work phone?

Sure ring it there and tell us what they say!

runner44

Just got this message on my phone about 5 minutes ago! My first thought was why didn't they ring me if it was that urgent!

The Backwards Man

I have €20 of 3credit that expires on Thursday, half tempted to ring it for the craic.

kneemos

Banjo String wrote: »

Why, no coverage? :pac:

Partly I suspect.

Mrs Garth Brooks

Just got the message as well.

Mrs Garth Brooks

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I have €20 of 3credit that expires on Thursday, half tempted to ring it for the craic.

Dont be a fool.

The Backwards Man

HardLuckWoman wrote: »

Dont be a fool.

'half tempted for the craic' is Donegalese for 'I will in me hole'

monflat

Yep i hl got one this mornin saying someone has left u an urgent voice message to hear ot phone + 21 070101
Feck that if they wanted me urgent enuf they could have phoned me !!!

Delete delete delete

Banjo String

kneemos wrote: »

Partly I suspect.

I jest , I jest. I'm with 3 myself. Constantly defending them to the folk loudly proclaiming they 'are crap'

Haven't had a bother with them since joining them 4 years ago.

monflat

Yep i hl got one this mornin saying someone has left u an urgent voice message to hear ot phone + 21 070101
Feck that if they wanted me urgent enuf they could have phoned me !!!

Delete delete delete

Skill Magill

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I have €20 of 3credit that expires on Thursday, half tempted to ring it for the craic.

Credit expires?

kneemos

Banjo String wrote: »

I jest , I jest. I'm with 3 myself. Constantly defending them to the folk loudly proclaiming they 'are crap'

Haven't had a bother with them since joining them 4 years ago.

It has improved here lately but there's a thread about their 3g service constantly going down presumably from different parts of the country.Great value though.

manta356

Just got it there too

Archeron

Thanks OP, I'll let me dad know about this, he is a worrier and would think it was from one of the family. Cheers.

The Backwards Man

Skill Magill wrote: »

Credit expires?

If you don't use it within six months you lose it. I only use the three SIM for free internet on UK network so I always lose €20 credit every month.

goose2005

Comreg have in the past blocked calls from Cook Islands, Tokelau, and Diego Garcia. It's a pretty common scam.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/calls-may-be-banned-to-combat-credit-scam-189720.html

El Weirdo

Herself just got the same message from +247101123.

Googled the number and this thread came up. Good work, After Hours.

aoifelp

My mam just got the text too, she panicked and was going to call it.. I Googled the number and found this thank god!

Strumms

El Weirdo wrote: »

Herself just got the same message from +247101123.

Googled the number and this thread came up. Good work, After Hours.

Same, I'm bill pay on 3 and got it earlier... Google brought me here.

Archeron

Archeron wrote: »

Thanks OP, I'll let me dad know about this, he is a worrier and would think it was from one of the family. Cheers.

Same with my mam, text her there and she replied with "thanks, I'd have been worried sick".

Custardpi

Good stuff, hopefully we can help a few people avoid falling prey to this.

teacherhead

The hoors are still at it today... just got a text and google brought me to AH

'Call me back now' it says. With an attitude like that they can **** off, scam or no scam.

blastman

Is it mainly people on 3 that are getting these texts?

El Weirdo

blastman wrote: »

Is it mainly people on 3 that are getting these texts?

Well, herself is on Vodafone so it's obviously not exclusive to 3.

andy t

got there today ...

scambags

EmsMcGrath

Just got the same text from 00247101123. Message says 'we have an important voice message for you call this number now 00247101123 to hear it'. Obviously didn't call the number. Don't call back, it's a scam!

With Vodafone, the message isn't specific to networks.

Donatello123

Just got the same message. With vodafone network. Must be doing the rounds

omb0wyn5ehpij9

I haven't got that scam text. I haven't got a scam text in about a year thankfully!

Brianthedog

Just got it this morning, urgent voice mail, on meteor network - are they picking numbers at random or how are they getting our numbers?

Also started getting poxy sales messages from local company's & have to keep replying SToP to 51000. I suspect apache pizza sold my number to a marketing firm. I'm out on a whim there but went through a phase where they blasted me with text after I placed a phone order - I kept sending the Stop message but messages kept coming. I rang the shop 3 times and asked them to stop, when it eventually did, the messages started coming from other companies

El Weirdo

Brianthedog wrote: »

Just got it this morning, urgent voice mail, on meteor network - are they picking numbers at random or how are they getting our numbers?

Also started getting poxy sales messages from local company's & have to keep replying SToP to 51000. I suspect apache pizza sold my number to a marketing firm. I'm out on a whim there but went through a phase where they blasted me with text after I placed a phone order - I kept sending the Stop message but messages kept coming. I rang the shop 3 times and asked them to stop, when it eventually did, the messages started coming from other companies

http://www.dataprotection.ie/docs/Guide-to-dealing-with-Unsolicited-SMS-messages/406.htm

nicowa

+353 (28) 9124 6657 and +44 7744 369900

I'm in the uk at the moment and getting hang ups from these two numbers. The +44 number I rang and was told by an automated voice that it was a premium number. And the other one is a hang up more then once.

darkpagandeath

I rang up meteor years ago for both me and my partner, just asked them to stop any dodgy usual suspect numbers. Like +77 and so on prepay UK numbers used for scams same with mad international mobile numbers. Have not had any since then. Just ring up and ask them to block them.