Anyone heard of this text scam?

Biodegradable

There's apparently a scam going around at the moment reporting to be from Boot's pharmacy. It tells you you've won a second place prize and to click on a link, and then after that you enter your email and phone number. You will then get a text back that reads something like "congratulations, you are involved in blah blah, if you wish to leave please send the following message (as instructed)" and once you send that message (as instructed) you will be charged circa €10.

So my question is, how do they 'get' this money unless it's an actual phone company that's running the scam? And if it's that easy, why can't they just charge €100 for the text? Why only €10. Is it not at all possible to report these numbers to the police in their country?

Sonny noggs

Ha, I won first prize! Second prize is for losers.

NSAman

Had it from “Tesco” on my irish mobile... thing is, I live in the States and haven’t been in a Tesco in about three years..;)

Del2005

Biodegradable wrote: »

There's apparently a scam going around at the moment reporting to be from Boot's pharmacy. It tells you you've won a second place prize and to click on a link, and then after that you enter your email and phone number. You will then get a text back that reads something like "congratulations, you are involved in blah blah, if you wish to leave please send the following message (as instructed)" and once you send that message (as instructed) you will be charged circa €10.

So my question is, how do they 'get' this money unless it's an actual phone company that's running the scam? And if it's that easy, why can't they just charge €100 for the text? Why only €10. Is it not at all possible to report these numbers to the police in their country?

Most people will have €10 credit on a PAYG phone, very few would have €100. Lots of small thefts make a lot of money.

mickdw

They get the money via your phone. It's not the phone companies scam but imo they could do more to stop these type of outfits.
Simple advice is dont click on random links.
I got the boots one via text message last week.

Biodegradable

mickdw wrote: »

Simple advice is dont click on random links.

Do you mean on your computer or on phone? I don't think there's any harm on clicking on them unless you don't give away your passwords or bank acc numbers.

Del2005

Biodegradable wrote: »

Do you mean on your computer or on phone? I don't think there's any harm on clicking on them unless you don't give away your passwords or bank acc numbers.

On any device. People got signed up to subscription scams from clicking links.

Even if they get nothing from you by clicking on the link you have validated the email address, you'll get way more spam.

Biodegradable

Del2005 wrote: »

On any device. People got signed up to subscription scams from clicking links.

Even if they get nothing from you by clicking on the link you have validated the email address, you'll get way more spam.

Which email address though? Would that be any email address that you're currently signed in with at the time? Most likely the gmail address so?

Del2005

Biodegradable wrote: »

Which email address though? Would that be any email address that you're currently signed in with at the time? Most likely the gmail address so?

The address in the To line of the email.

Weltsmertz

mickdw wrote: »

They get the money via your phone. It's not the phone companies scam but imo they could do more to stop these type of outfits.
.

Not true. These scammers need business agreements with the mobile operator in order to be able to take the money and most of it goes to the mobile companies.

mickdw

Del2005 wrote: »

Most people will have €10 credit on a PAYG phone, very few would have €100. Lots of small thefts make a lot of money.

And if 100s were being taken from lots of people daily, something would get done pretty quick to shut them down.

The Nal

What sort of halfwit would fall for this?

Cabaal

The Nal wrote: »

What sort of halfwit would fall for this?

Plenty,
Greed makes people do stupid things

Stop moaning ffs

Topped up €20 on Sunday and generally don’t make calls mostly use WhatsApp.

Just got 8 texts from some gaming company I’ve never signed up to then an alert from Three saint I have less than €2.50 credit remaining.

I’ve no idea wtf just happened. Called three and they’ve blocked the number from my phone but the lady warned me they often switch numbers so watch out next month of it happens again.

The number is 59577 and it seems to be some premium messaging/gaming thing?

Just a heads up be careful

Biodegradable

Cabaal wrote: »

Plenty,
Greed makes people do stupid things

In this case it's not greed though, as you'd be texting to opt out!

Biodegradable

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

Topped up €20 on Sunday and generally don’t make calls mostly use WhatsApp.

Just got 8 texts from some gaming company I’ve never signed up to then an alert from Three saint I have less than €2.50 credit remaining.

I’ve no idea wtf just happened. Called three and they’ve blocked the number from my phone but the lady warned me they often switch numbers so watch out next month of it happens again.

The number is 59577 and it seems to be some premium messaging/gaming thing?

Just a heads up be careful

So they can take money from you just by texting you? Did Three refuse to refund this?

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

Just got 8 texts from some gaming company I’ve never signed up to then an alert from Three saint I have less than €2.50 credit remaining.

What is Three saint?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Biodegradable wrote: »

What is Three saint?

A typo for saying

Stop moaning ffs

Biodegradable wrote: »

So they can take money from you just by texting you? Did Three refuse to refund this?
What is Three saint?

Sorry. Typo. Meant said.

They can’t refund it but gave me the details of the company. Rang it and voicemail saying hold and be out through to customer service. Waited a while. No luck. Just hung up.
No idea how they got my number. And only on this number a few months.

Biodegradable

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

Sorry. Typo. Meant said.

They can’t refund it but gave me the details of the company. Rang it and voicemail saying hold and be out through to customer service. Waited a while. No luck. Just hung up.
No idea how they got my number. And only on this number a few months.

I don't understand how it could be that easy! If all you have to do is text somebody to get their money, then would do other scams (like the one I mentioned) try to even get you to text back?

Three mightn't be telling everything. Were you ages waiting to talk to a rep when you rang Three!

Stop moaning ffs

Biodegradable wrote: »

I don't understand how it could be that easy! If all you have to do is text somebody to get their money, then would do other scams (like the one I mentioned) try to even get you to text back?

Three mightn't be telling everything. Were you ages waiting to talk to a rep when you rang Three!

Ah not at all. The girl was very helpful. Apparently if you go on certain sites with pop ups it can grab your info. I was using a dodgy streaming site to watch a series not available here and it was pop ups galore before I could watch so it was probably that.
She blocked the number from calling or texting me and I blocked it from my phone too.

Biodegradable

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

Ah not at all. The girl was very helpful. Apparently if you go on certain sites with pop ups it can grab your info. I was using a dodgy streaming site to watch a series not available here and it was pop ups galore before I could watch so it was probably that.
She blocked the number from calling or texting me and I blocked it from my phone too.

I get them too, but I haven't given my number to youtube or facebook, so maybe that's why I don't get them?!

Stop moaning ffs

Biodegradable wrote: »

I get them too, but I haven't given my number to youtube or facebook, so maybe that's why I don't get them?!

Me neither. It’s a mystery

Quackster

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

Me neither. It’s a mystery

Did you ask Three to put a premium SMS bar on your account as that's the only way to prevent this happening again?

nthclare

The next one's always the winner....

Stop moaning ffs

Quackster wrote: »

Did you ask Three to put a premium SMS bar on your account as that's the only way to prevent this happening again?

That’s what she did yeah. But she said these companies often change numbers so come at your number from a different one and to keep an eye on it next time I top up.

Here’s the texts I got almost all at once.

Quackster

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

That’s what she did yeah. But she said these companies often change numbers so come at your number from a different one and to keep an eye on it next time I top up.

Here’s the texts I got almost all at once.

No, a premium SMS bar blocks all 53xxx and 57xxx numbers so you can never again get caught out. Your network provider has to provide it if you ask them to.

https://community.three.ie/t5/3MadeEasy/Premium-Rate-Services-FAQs/ba-p/759382

Stop moaning ffs

Quackster wrote: »

No, a premium SMS bar blocks all 53xxx and 57xxx numbers so you can never again get caught out. Your network provider has to provide it if you ask them to.

https://community.three.ie/t5/3MadeEasy/Premium-Rate-Services-FAQs/ba-p/759382

Yeah that’s what she did but she just said watch out in case it happens again

Ten Pin

Three aren't innocent in this whole premium SMS issue...

https://www.boards.ie/ttfpost/107872737

The gist of it is that Three give your number to these companies.

Yeah that’s what she did but she just said watch out in case it happens again

That's a cop out on Three's part, they're either blocking them or they're not.

Wonder how many people are getting scammed and unaware of it.

With the drop in revenue from NGN calls, this premium SMS problem could become more common...Comreg of course will do little to rein them in.

She blocked the number from calling or texting me and I blocked it from my phone too.

Make sure it's for all premium numbers, not just the one from the sender of the one you received.

Someone suggested in another thread that under distance selling rules, you should be able to avail of cooling off to get a refund from the premium SMS provider...no idea if that would work.

Biodegradable

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

Yeah that’s what she did but she just said watch out in case it happens again

I think what he might have been saying, was that you wouldn't need to watch out if all kinds of 53xxx and 57xxx numbers were blocked... that any number they would change to would be blocked too.

Stop moaning ffs

Biodegradable wrote: »

I think what he might have been saying, was that you wouldn't need to watch out if all kinds of 53xxx and 57xxx numbers were blocked... that any number they would change to would be blocked too.

Hopefully.

Funny enough I rarely use my credit. Use WhatsApp for calls and texts and threes deal is brillaint and there’s no cut off until your month runs out and you top up again.
I usually let it run out and use the credit to buy internet add ons for a fiver. Then when they run out but a new top up. I’ve always done that.

Maybe thy saw me doing it and as previous poster said nipped it in the bud

Biodegradable

Ten Pin wrote: »

Three aren't innocent in this whole premium SMS issue...

I suppose we all suspected that deep down.

Ten Pin wrote: »

The gist of it is that Three give your number to these companies.

Yeah, but why did they target him? I've had Three sneak 50c off me here and there, but nothing like what happened to this guy!

Stop moaning ffs

Just to add I genuinely don’t be gaming or why I have like it on my phone. It’s not my world at all.
Looks like I just went on the wrong site and it grabbed my info out of the phone

How tho

Biodegradable

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

The [Three] girl was very helpful.

Very two faced more like!

Ten Pin wrote: »

That's a cop out on Three's part, they're either blocking them or they're not.

Biodegradable

Biodegradable wrote: »

Do you mean on your computer or on phone? I don't think there's any harm on clicking on them unless you don't give away your passwords or bank acc numbers.

Nope links often have malware that gives them access to your device, and from there gather information.
Reasonably easy to do and bypass most security software on your device. During the last course I did we were constantly hacking each other for the laugh/learning but the worst thing we did to each other was mess with someone's social media before removing the backdoor.

Biodegradable

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

I usually let it run out and use the credit to buy internet add ons for a fiver. Then when they run out but a new top up. I’ve always done that.

I'm with them too, but after the 4 weeks are up, I just go without internet for about a week before I top up again. How do you use the credit to buy internet add ons for a fiver?

Although if you forget to switch of 'cellular' after the 4 weeks, they charge you about €2 every 30 seconds to use the internet. It's robbery and a pure ploy on their part.

Biodegradable

DubInMeath wrote: »

but the worst thing we did to each other was mess with someone's social media before removing the backdoor.

Removing the backdoor?

Biodegradable

Biodegradable wrote: »

Removing the backdoor?

Software that is download when you click a malicious link that gives the hacker access to your device and/or gathers information and forwards it to the hacker.

Stop moaning ffs

Biodegradable wrote: »

I'm with them too, but after the 4 weeks are up, I just go without internet for about a week before I top up again. How do you use the credit to buy internet add ons for a fiver?

Although if you forget to switch of 'cellular' after the 4 weeks, they charge you about €2 every 30 seconds to use the internet. It's robbery and a pure ploy on their part.

Say you have run out of your monthly deal. But you still have 10 or 15 or even 20 euro of the credit you bought unused, you can go into your account on their (godawful) website and buy internet add ons for a fiver. Think it’s 500 mb for a fiver. I just use them up and when they run out then buy a new top up.

Biodegradable

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

Think it’s 500 mb for a fiver.

How many days would that get u?

L1011

Comreg have allowed phone companies to deem clicking on a link as "informed consent" on subscribing to a service. It's absolute insanity that this is allowed but they aren't willing to change

Stop moaning ffs

Biodegradable wrote: »

How many days would that get u?

Depends on how many podcasts I have to get through usually about a day and a half?

Biodegradable

L1011 wrote: »

Comreg have allowed phone companies to deem clicking on a link as "informed consent" on subscribing to a service. It's absolute insanity that this is allowed but they aren't willing to change

So the bottom line is that there's a big difference between clicking on a link when on your PC, as opposed to clicking on a link on your smart phone. It's okay to do it on your PC.

Stop moaning ffs

Just remembered something

The only time I’ve given my number out was a few weeks ago. Lidl were selling raffle tickets at the til for a charity and if you win you get a supermarket dash kinda thing.

The girl at the til Wrote my number on two tickets.

I wonder.