End of the line for SMS rip-offs!

NEWS Companies who rip off consumers with a SMS text message scam are about to be disconnected under new powers from the telecom's regulator Oftel. The scam works by the operator sending out SMS messages to random mobiles inviting a reply. If the user responds, they can be charged up to £1.50 a message. The new Oftel directive allows the Director General of Telecommunications to order the withdrawal of services that refuse to terminate operations following warnings from premium rate services watchdog the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Telephone Information Services (ICSTIS).