Premium rate scam

[aq66]

Hi 

I have been targeted by a premium rate scam where I am being charged £4.50 per week for I don't know what. the reference is "MyConte02037403517" - has anyone else had this?  I have called the number on my bill and it is just a messaging service which says I will be called back in 48 hours. I am still being charged. Vodafone have blocked my number from receiving anything from other premium rate companies however they cannot cancel the charges. I am not receiving any text messages etc so I cannot reply saying "STOP ALL" as you can with others.

Has anyone else had this and successfully stopped it without having to get a new number?!

Thanks

[hrym]

There are only a few things you can do in the face of a scam.   The solution provided is comprehensive and will stop further messages, but will also affect things like making charitable donations or paying for parking.

It's worth taking this up with the regulator.   This changes and used to be PhonepayPlus, but I'm not sure if it still is.   What they can do may be limited if the originator is offshore, though.

Replying to unsolicited texts is risky as they're often send to random numbers and a ressponse may only confirm that they've found a live number.   If they're a scam, they probably won't stop when told to, either.

[Sophie2017]

I've just discovered the same thing £4.50 has been charged to my account for the past 8 weeks.  Vodafone customer service said they'd put me through to the number - which rang ... and rang ... and rang and then told me that the extension number I was calling was not manned.  Really fed up.  Anyone got a fix for this?

[joannem1189]

Hi everyone,

Did anyone manage to get this sorted?... I have just discovered the same thing on my account!

[Alex]

@joannem1189 Have you checked your My Vodafone account to see if you've been charged? If you know the company who the subscription is with, we'd advise you to contact them to have the subscription cancelled and if you don't believe you took it out in the first place, it'd be worth asking them if they'd be able to issue a refund. 

[Mediterraneou]

Check their number, 02037403517 on  PSA ( phone paid services authority ) and make complaint

[Sophie2017]

I've been subject to this scam too - and I have to say that Vodafone customer service have been appalling in their response to my complaints to them.  Same thing of £4.50 going out of my account for over 6 weeks before I realised.  Same thing of being told by Vodafone to ring the number - and it rang and rang and then just stopped.  Someone, somewhere is making a fortune out of this scam and the phone companies don't give a damn.

[HJS16]

They do not, I posted a link earlier I would put in a complaint on this Web site

I would also complain to the ombudsman https://www.ombudsman-services.org/sectors/communications.  The figures for me are not significant but the principle is not right. Someone in authority needs to look at these scams and force phone companies to change systems and procedures.  If I want to pay 4.50 a week fine, but should not happen by at best an accident at worst fraudulently. 

[joannem1189]

Hi all, 

I ended up complaining to the company through email and this is their response... 

"MyContent is subscription service for mobile content, eBooks, emoticons, games and personalisation – content for mobile phones. Our service is advertised through online adverts that lead to our site.  Like those shown below that lead tohttp://m.uk.mycontent.media

Your number was obtained through online browsing to our sites / adverts and its interaction with the offer / promotion upon the subscription being initiated.

The charges are authorised via the user of the phone to be charged to their phone bill as they go through the flow for the subscription.

Your subscription Time Stamp: 28/10/2018 06:16:50

We are sorry to inform you that you do not qualify for a refund."....

What a load of rubbish!... I have went through my browsing history from the stated date and there is nothing from around the stated time!

I don't know how people can get away with practically stealing money from people! Luckily for me it wasn't a significant sum, but I bet there's people out there being charged unknowingly for weeks on end! 

[HJS16]

Agree it is theft and the phone companies are complicit in this by making it so easy.  With another phone provider at one time I had a phone with no internet on it (though was a small amount of data on the plan) and ended up with charges.  yet the phone had no internet access to subscribe.

What they often do is send a link to your phone that you click by accident .  Though in my case my daughter uses the tablet for you tube, I think that might be what happened in my case.  That would not show up in browsing history

Another issue when you go online with Vodafone it shows at a glance your current bill but estimated charges for the next  bill do not show up at a glance.  A money making con the whole thing.  Surely if you want to subscribe to a service systems should be built in that you have to actively enter a pin for example or a password not just accidentally click a link or end up with a bill that you have no idea how it happend