Another Phone Scam

[Nem]

Someone phoned me from a 07099 number yesterday. I called the number back. It asks you to leave a message - that's it, so obviously I was routed to a premium rate number to hear that recording.

Watch out!

[AndrewT]

Someone phoned me from a 07099 number yesterday. I called the number back. It asks you to leave a message - that's it, so obviously I was routed to a premium rate number to hear that recording.

Watch out!

Yeah, it'll ring once, then hang up. When you get to your phone you'll see a missed call from 070xxxxxxxx and naturally phone it back to see who it is.

[ifm]

I never return calls, if it's important they'll ring back

[Rod Paradise]

07099 is a service called personal numbering, so you should pay national rate to call it, they pick up the onward routing to wherever they are. You've not been scammed.

[Longines]

07099 is a service called personal numbering, so you should pay national rate to call it, they pick up the onward routing to wherever they are. You've not been scammed.

Not quite. The cost of the call (if made from a BT line) depends on the next digit after 07099.

07099 0   16.71 pence per minute
07099 2   30 ppm
07099 4   50 ppm
07099 5   37.5 ppm
07099 6   37.5 ppm
07099 8   50 ppm
07099 9   50 ppm

http://www.downloads.bt.com/pricing/SpecialisedNos.pdf

Call costs from Telewest and mobiles will be different.

[Nem]

Someone phoned me from a 07099 number yesterday. I called the number back. It asks you to leave a message - that's it, so obviously I was routed to a premium rate number to hear that recording.

Watch out!

Yeah, it'll ring once, then hang up. When you get to your phone you'll see a missed call from 070xxxxxxxx and naturally phone it back to see who it is.

Where did I say it rang once? Since when has 07 been associated with premium rate numbers?

Stop being a tool!

[Acidmouse]

Not being clever or anything but why would you ring them back? If its important they mail or ring you again.

[kinboshi]

070 numbers should be dropped.  They look too similar to mobile phone numbers.

We get lots of people on our site calling people who have advertised their used cars.  These scammers call, and if the person answers they hang up.  What they want to do is get through to an answer machine, when they say they're interested in the car being advertised, and then leave their 070 number and ask for the seller to return the call.

So many people on our site were being targeted, that we actually blocked the use of 09x or 070 numbers on the site in contact forms, and put this page up to warn buyers and sellers about them: http://www.buyyourcar.co.uk/Car-Buying-Scams.aspx

Calls to 070 numbers can cost a lot more than you think, especially if they divert to a number in another country.  Not 100% sure about the validity of the next bit - but if anyone can confirm or refute it's accuracy that would be much appreciated:

I believe that it can be the case that you call the 070 number which rings, then it diverts to another number (in another country), and you can then be paying for the call even whilst the call hasn't actually been answered at the destination number and it's still ringing.

[whufc65]

http://www.icstis.org.uk/default.asp

[AndrewT]

Someone phoned me from a 07099 number yesterday. I called the number back. It asks you to leave a message - that's it, so obviously I was routed to a premium rate number to hear that recording.

Watch out!

Yeah, it'll ring once, then hang up. When you get to your phone you'll see a missed call from 070xxxxxxxx and naturally phone it back to see who it is.

Where did I say it rang once? Since when has 07 been associated with premium rate numbers?

Stop being a tool!

Eh?

I post a reply to your message detailing a similar situation that happened to me (backing up your post BTW) and you fly off the handle and call me a silly name?

Strange behaviour for someone who's already had his wrists slapped once.

[Longines]

I believe that it can be the case that you call the 070 number which rings, then it diverts to another number (in another country), and you can then be paying for the call even whilst the call hasn't actually been answered at the destination number and it's still ringing.

True. As soon as the other end answers - which could well be to play you a recording of a ringing tone - you will be racking up the 50ppm.

Where these stories sometimes fall down is they say "it will be transferred to <somewhere forrin> and you will be charged 15 quid a minute" - that's baloney. If you dial an 070 number, all you can be charged is the fee as listed in the BT price list.

Otherwise the scammers would just divert you to their inmarsat ship phone for which BT do charge £6 a minute to call 

[tikay]

07099 is a service called personal numbering, so you should pay national rate to call it, they pick up the onward routing to wherever they are. You've not been scammed.

Not quite. The cost of the call (if made from a BT line) depends on the next digit after 07099.

07099 0   16.71 pence per minute
07099 2   30 ppm
07099 4   50 ppm
07099 5   37.5 ppm
07099 6   37.5 ppm
07099 8   50 ppm
07099 9   50 ppm

http://www.downloads.bt.com/pricing/SpecialisedNos.pdf

Call costs from Telewest and mobiles will be different.

Well I never, we learn summat new every day.

You work for BT?

[tantrum]

Why calling back a number you don't recognize?
I don't call back/ don't open door to strangers and don't reply to e-mails from people i don't know.  Hence i am scam free for now.

[Karabiner]

Not being clever or anything but why would you ring them back? If its important they mail or ring you again.

Nem is an optimist 

[roverthtaeh]

I didn't call a number back once, turns out it was Cameron Diaz.
Lesson learned.