Phone Spammer Spams 160k customers - 5 complain

damien

http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/0901/mobile.htm

A company which made random mobile phone calls to over 160,000 people has been fined €1,500 in the first case of its kind in Ireland.

Judge Anne Watkin imposed fines of €300 each in respect of five of the customers who complained and also ordered Fours a Fortune to pay legal costs of €1,000.

dahamsta

It's the Oirish way. Get annoyed and bitch about it to family, friends, taxi drivers, dogs in the street, everyone. For years. Get them as annoyed as you, because you're such a bore about it*. But don't expend an ounce of that energy looking for the right person to complain to, the person that could actually fix things. Oh no, that's not the way we do it round here now sir, oh no. :rolleyes:

adam

* Certain amount of pot and kettle here admittedly, but I do complain about issues that affect me directly. A lot.

damien

Is there a way for the Data Protection Commissioner or a Judge prosecute on behalf of everyone affected or do they have to receive a complaint? Anyone know any details of this case?

Did the guy have to reimburse people who called the number? Or did he profit from it?

Syth

We need US style class action lawsuits for this kind of thing.

maidhc

He is a nasty man; its not the first time he has been pulled up by the DPC either
http://www.dataprivacy.ie/docs/Case_Study_5_/03_Realm_Communications/104.htm


Being one of those 160k, I remember being mystified as to the weird message when I rang the number back. Needless to say I didnt ring the premium rate number. I presume to find out who was running the promotion it was necessary to call the 1550 number.

Talliesin

It's a criminal offense, not a civil one, they should have been hit for every one they Spammed, not just those that complained.

I'm getting SMS Spam from this crowd of low-lifes called "Realm". I know how to complain (most people don't) and I will at some point, but really I'm busy enough most that typing up a letter etc. doesn't occur to me.

Cerdito

This sounds similiar to something I experienced recently....I work as a data/voice network admin and last weekend my company received spam calls to multiple numbers in our number range. As it was the weekend noone answered and the calls went to voicemail. Message left was a well-spoken English guy saying that the owner of the number had won a prize blah blah blah and to ring a 1580 number.

Caller ID withheld of course. I logged a complaint with Regtel who told me that other businesses had been affected and the service had been closed down

maidhc

Realm's phone number is 01 4661166. I don't think there can be a problem posting it here since they seem more than willing to share it around.

I rang them up before and ate someone on the other side of the line. I told her explicity to be removed from their spam-sms database, but they still want me to text something to somwhere else to get free credit and subscribe to something for €2 a week. I intend to compain to the DPC.

If everyone availed of their offer of the €10/€20 credit and cancelled the subscription straight away... there is no small print in the text I got...

damien

http://www.thepost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqid=7647-qqqx=1.asp

BrianD

Unbelievably this guy got away with such a light conviction. Furthermore this case was handled very badly by the authorities. This was more than just a spamming incident - it was a ringback scam. So not only were you getting an unsolicited call (the missed call) but when people called back they were paying premium rates. All callers should have got a refund.

TJM

It's also worth complaining to RegTel - http://regtel.ie - which has responsibility for premium rate number services. Regtel has the power to prevent serial offenders from operating premium rate lines. The threat of losing their business is likely to attract their attention while the relatively light fines in the District Court can be shrugged off.

See: http://www.regtel.ie/code_13.htm