Premium Rate Numbers – Scams Something To Be Cautious About
Scams connected to premium rate numbers are quite difficult to spot beforehand and you can easily get confused as to where you must report it to when have been scammed. These scammers are waiting to rip off unsuspecting customers and they are quite tactful too. You may not even recognise a scam number at first glance. These scams come in various forms. While most are likely to rip off unsuspecting customers there are others that can leave the service providing company in bad debt.
Encouraging children to use premium rate numbers
This is a one of the first scams that was associated with local and get a premium rate number http://www.wpremiums.com/premium-rate.html. It is not a scam per se, but it preys on the children’s ignorance of call charges to generate profits. Most of these are banned or regulated by the government now, so these are not seen much today.
In this type of scam the programme asks kids to join with their show by dialling a premium rate number. Some even encouraged them to hold on while different music was played or while other questions were asked. Unsuspecting children who used these numbers frequently caused their home telephone bills to soar. These programmes were stopped or regulated, because concerned parents raised their voices against such practices.
Fixed line frauds
These can happen in a number of ways. The most common types are Dial through Draft Fraud (also known as Direct Inward System Access Fraud) and Call Selling Fraud. In both these cases the hacker can gain undue access to the service provider’s network (usually using a false name) and make as much calls as they like and disappear into thin air. They can leave the company in heavy debt.
Businesses can reduce being victims of such scams by limiting remote access to the system, allowing calls only at certain working hours and by barring call destinations that are not useful to the business.
Fake advice providers
These caller lines provide government advice services at much higher rates. Typically these services will advertise a local or international premium rate number on web advertisements and lure unsuspecting customers to their trap. These numbers usually direct you to the right place, but they will dig a deep hole in your pocket in the process. The best way to avoid being tricked by these scammers is to use the government website to find the relevant numbers.
The relevant authorities have taken many steps to reduce the problems associated with premium numbers. So the number of scams has reduced greatly in number, especially the ones that exploited the innocence of kids.