R189 unaccounted for, OOB shark or something else?

[HideInLight]

This is how the tax invoice looks like that I got.

Invoice Date: 3/10/2013
Due Date: 31/10/2013

Description

Subscription Services
Data Promotion - MyGig3 Oct R149
HSDPA Voice tariff Oct 0
Total Subscription services: R149

Calls - Data Services
Content Services 188.99
Data Usage 0

Total Calls - Data Services R188.99
This invoice amount R337.00

Something that's on it, that's not on the other invoices is Content Services, What is content services?
The data usage according to the invoice is R0, when I check the balance on my sim card there's an additional 7 Meg that expires 2013/10/31 which means I had data carried so how can this be the OOB shark?

Don't use it for calls or anything else, the only thing that should be on there is the R149 for the 3 Gig.

 

[HideInLight]

So I googled a bit and all these WASP complains popped up. So I send a STOP ALL WC to 30333

You have been unsubscribed from 18+ Confirm service

Seriously, wtf?

I make it my mission to never give out the number of that sim card, heck I don't even know what it is without looking at the tax invoice, yet from day one I get spammed with random "You've won" messages, and every other scam imaginable when I look at the sms notifications via the Vodafone dashboard.

And now those "scammers" can use your number they've obtained from the RICA database or who knows where can subscribe you to whatever the hell the above is without your consent?

This is completely unacceptable.

 

[HideInLight]

http://hellopeter.com/vodacom/complaints/r180-pm-content-services-with-no-sign-up-962120

That's almost identical to my problem, relative same amount and my 2 Gig was recently migrated to 3 Gig.

 

[HideInLight]

http://hellopeter.com/cellspice/compliments-and-complaints

Found that culprit, did some research and found out about the double opt whatever service. So I went into my Vodafone sms history and there it was R7 a day...

Ironically the date seems to be 3 September a period in when I used my Cell C Sim. And after which my Vodacom 2 Gig got migrated to 3 Gig (for free and without any of my input, Vodacom just did it)

and I'm not the only one, there literally hundreds if not thousands complaints against this company. They seem to have found a weakness in Vodacom's system and are exploiting it.

 

[HideInLight]

They part of the Mira Networks, trying to find the core of the problem, why is Vodacom allowing these fraudsters and thiefs to steal money from people.

This is just insane how many people is getting screwed over!
http://hellopeter.com/mira-networks/compliments-and-complaints?pg=1

Any advice on how I'm gonna get my money back?
And how do I stop this from happening in the future for good?

 

[ZR6RON]

Thank you for this HideInLight;

Someone called Bempix sent me a welcome to..... message on the 14th, as this is a data sim I only picked up on it on the 21st. Sent an "Unsubscribe" and got a "You have been unsubscribed, sorry to see you go".

Sent STOP ALL WC to 30333 right now, and guess what the response is:-
"You have been unsubscribed from WhatsApp Backgrounds 4ur cell service with effect from 2013-10-23." AKA Bempix!

Where does one report these *^%$*^ robbers. [As if it would help]

 

[HideInLight]

Flexiba
http://www.waspa.org.za/members/index.php?show=3337

Everything so far points to Mira Netowrks and Flexiba, all members of Waspa
If you look them up, they've been defrauding people for years and there's hundreds of cases open between them, all with this R7 a day BS. They collect your information from an external source (don't need much, apparently just your number) then they subscribe it to one of their services.

Vodacom is essentially giving this company free access to your credit cards.
Who should I contact in order to resolve this matter, because something needs to be done about it. Vodacom needs to be held accountable too.

All these R7 a day subscriptions points to the same companies.

 

[marine1]

Flexiba
http://www.waspa.org.za/members/index.php?show=3337

Everything so far points to Mira Netowrks and Flexiba, all members of Waspa
If you look them up, they've been defrauding people for years and there's hundreds of cases open between them, all with this R7 a day BS. They collect your information from an external source (don't need much, apparently just your number) then they subscribe it to one of their services.

Vodacom is essentially giving this company free access to your credit cards.
Who should I contact in order to resolve this matter, because something needs to be done about it. Vodacom needs to be held accountable too.

It's fraud. And the service providers are guilty. I would sue the living **** out of them..... Time to check my bill

 

[HideInLight]

October 23 2013
CellPhone users still getting stun by Wasps

http://www.iol.co.za/blogs/wendy-kn...ill-get-stung-by-wasps-1.1596195#.UmhouxCuqF0

 

[marine1]

How is this allowed to continue?

 

[ShadowBandit]

October 23 2013
CellPhone users still getting stun by Wasps

http://www.iol.co.za/blogs/wendy-kn...ill-get-stung-by-wasps-1.1596195#.UmhouxCuqF0

Another good article from her, blocking all Wasps right now

 

[HideInLight]

Another good article from her, blocking all Wasps right now

There's a lot of recent reports of the “double opt-in” protection failing for others, just not me. So you can't rely on that anymore.

However if you do both:

//terminates all WASPA services.

STOP ALL WC

30333


followed by:

//removes your number from their database
30600

STOP

That seems to do the job well. I just actually tried registering for that "service" on my old expendable (was destined to see the trashbin anyways) sim card and couldn't manage it.

That or they lie about sending a verification SMS because I did not receive one at all. Just remember to do both steps, not just one.

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

Nice to know about that shortcode and message. Just tested it and it unsubscribed me from all my content services - I opted into them to use up my top-up airtime.

 

[jannievanzyl]

Won't you PM all the details to VD, please? The double Opt-In should not have allowed this. Let's trace and see what happened.

Unless you double-opted in?

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

Won't you PM all the details to VD, please? The double Opt-In should not have allowed this. Let's trace and see what happened.

Unless you double-opted in?

Was about to post the same. We cannot bill anybody who has not opted into our system (I work for another large WASP).

This is one of the reasons why all my active contracts are on Vodacom as they are the only network that provides me with the tools to manage my subscription services.

 

[HideInLight]

Won't you PM all the details to VD, please? The double Opt-In should not have allowed this. Let's trace and see what happened.

Unless you double-opted in?

Already PM'ed him.
How does one Opt in, in the first place? Is clicking a link enough? Do you have to click it twice?

If you buy a new sim card, are you already opt in once. I just don't get it.

Welcome:Cellspice New videos:http://bzm.tv/s/FF92260957 Pass:1111111 help@cellspice.com subscription service R7/Day unsub sms stop to 43887 help:0213002831

That's how the initial and only link kinda looks like. By the looks of it, they already given you a username, password and linked it to your number.

Since it's easy to manipulate link, would just opening that "unique" link be sufficient to subscribe you?
This is the software they seems to be using in most cases.
https://www.basebone.com/

 

[marine1]

So if you did not double opt in it cannot happen?

 

[HideInLight]

I registered my Vodacom modem sim, and I see the bill is R300 so far, R150 over.

So that's R189 + R150 gone...

Is it possible to stop and reverse the current charges before paying them/you or whatever...

*Here's my suggestion.

Ban X rand a day schemes. You should auto unsubscribe within a week, after you need to send a physical sms to resume the subscription.

Require the client to login into their Vodacom account and require them to go and manually activate the so called "service" especially if on contract.

Vodacom must send a final sms first, notifying you that your about to subscribe to a service and you must dial *111# and go activate the debit order there for the transaction to go through.

There's enough scam spam, *111# -> select service to activate should used as the final confirmation.

 

[HideInLight]

Lets do a quick recap, in order to subscribe for that service in a legit way, I must click the register button, enter a number, a code will be send to me via, SMS in which I must reply back via SMS?
That's the double OPT system that's suppose to protect us?

That's process I definitely didn't follow, yet I'm subscribed.

What if I told you I found a way to directly log into 90% of the R7/day accounts posted on hellopeter complaining about the being billed without authorization, and that I was capable of changing he mobile number on each of them.

Would that be a way to bypass the double OPT system, or not quite? This includes the so called disabled accounts.

 

[ginggs]

What if I told you I found a way to directly log into 90% of the R7/day accounts posted on hellopeter complaining about the being billed without authorization, and that I was capable of changing he mobile number on each of them.

Careful, the WASPs will accuse you of "hacking" their systems.