Cellphone Scam R50 per second!

[Browser]

I receive an email with a pdf document with the Vodacom logo in it, the document talks about someone from an 072 * number sending out please call me's and when someone returns the call they are charged at R50.50 per second. This is apparently a warning from Vodacom, MTN and Cell C. But how can this scam possibly work without some cooperation from these providers, surely any tom dick and harry can't asert these charges when their number is called, surely you have to apply for this to happen and the providers have controll over it.

Is there some department one can contact in regards to these cellphone charges, there must be someone who "governs" such things?

Here's a picture of the pdf I received.

 

[LabAnimal]

if this is the case, someone could just miss call you, you get curious and you call back - same thing really...

 

[BobbyMac]

@Browser: have you contacted this Michael Rautenbach to verify that the PDF is not a hoax?


By the way, the date on the PDF is over a year and a half ago: 2006-03-03, so my guess is it is a hoax.

 

[Browser]

It sounds to much like a hoax, if this wasn't South Africa I wouldn't give it a second though, I haven't contacted anyone noted in the document. I only opened the email to check it because someone I was talking to mentioned something about it and then I remembered the email (from someone I know). I have no Idea if there's any truth to it.

Does anyone know if there is some kind of regulator regarding these numbers that charge you when you call them, or even for other cellphone "services" like subscribing/downloading wallpapers or ringtones, or even for competitions?

Surely there must be? (I'll keep telling myself that)

Edit:
One of the people I spoke to mentioned it is an old scam, but that it's happening again. Again I don't have any facts.

 

[GavinMannion]

Does anyone know if there is some kind of regulator regarding these numbers that charge you when you call them, or even for other cellphone "services" like subscribing/downloading wallpapers or ringtones, or even for competitions?

Yes there is and this is a terrible hoax

 

[bwana]

Wouldnt Vodacom just shut it down if it was genuine? I'd like to hope they would.

 

[kiepie]

Is a call of R50 per second even possible. Surely the provider takes half of it then, just like premium sms'e.

 

[GavinMannion]

Is a call of R50 per second even possible. Surely the provider takes half of it then, just like premium sms'e.

no it's not possible

 

[LandyMan]

This thing popped up about a year or so ago (in line with the date on the pdf), and it was then already confirmed as a hoax

 

[kiepie]

no it's not possible

Thought so...

Atleast with the premium sms'e you can have an idea of how much it is...

 

[vodacom3g]

There has been cases where a company registers a premium-rated SMS service and then try and run a scam to get people to use it.

To protect subscribers against such scams, Vodacom will not process any payments to the 'service provider' for quite a lengthy period, so that (if complaints are received), the 'SP' can be shut down and the credits passed back to all subscribers.

So, I see no reason for a 'warning' letter to go out (to only one region as well) as the processes are already in place to protect consumers.

 

[Napalm]

Service provider apply's the charges for a specific number. Setting some numbers as "free" some at cheaper rates. and obviously in this case some rediculous amount per second.

 

[kronoSX]

hoax.just imagine R3000+- for a min.Damn thats nasty

 

[Browser]

Does anyone know if there is some kind of regulator....

Yes there is....

?

 

[flarkit]

http://www.google.com
http://www.snopes.com
http://www.breakthechain.org

Please, use those sites and just check, you'll usually find these mails are utter crap.

 

[JK8]

@Browser: have you contacted this Michael Rautenbach to verify that the PDF is not a hoax?


By the way, the date on the PDF is over a year and a half ago: 2006-03-03, so my guess is it is a hoax.

Old news, was not a hoax! But its sorted now.

 

[LottaFun]

Saw on tv last night. Scammers have a premium number setup. Go in at clients dressed as courier guys. State they are there to collect a parcel. Receptionist states no parcel. It must be a mistake. Courier guy ask if he can phone office to make sure because dispatch must have slipped up. He phones premium number and tries to stay on line as long as possible. In some cases they could stay on as long as 30 minutes. The longer he stays on the line, the more money he is getting and the company/receptionist is non the wiser.

 

[JK8]

Theres alot of scams!
I wont say what they are, I might give some people ideas!