By Tim Ferguson, 15 February 2008 14:54
NEWS
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is sending out fake scam SMS messages to young people to help raise awareness around text scams.
People aged between 18 and 24 receive a text reading: "Urgent! U may have won £1k cash with '2 Good 2 B True'."
Cheat Sheets
♦ Galileo
♦ Cheat Sheet: Mobile TV
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This first text is then followed by a more detailed message explaining that the first message was a fake and that the OFT sent it to warn about mobile phone text scams.
The OFT has targeted young people as it estimates six per cent of all victims of mass-marketed scams each year are aged between 15 and 24.
Mike Haley, director of consumer protection at the OFT, said the organisation hopes the fake scam texts will remind young people to be on their guard if they encounter dubious offers similar to this.
The second message also lets people know about a free text message service called SMSus that allows you to text the details of a premium rate number and receive information on the cost to call it, details of the service provider and how to register a complaint.
The service has been set up by PhonepayPlus (formerly Icstis), the organisation that regulates phone-paid services.
Comments
There are 4 comments. Join the discussion
1. Karen Challinor
so when someone receives one of these unsolicited messages, who do they complain to to stop getting any more the OFT or PhonepayPlus (formerly Icstis) ?
2. Mark Hosey
So why can't the service providers provide a service where by the customer dials the number, hits ok once to receive a "cost per minute" warning and then ok a second time to accept the charge and commence dialing?
3. anonymous
I'd be intrigued to know which databases they are misusing to enable them to target 'young people' in this way!!
4. also watching
Ja, ja, ja!
Thanks to Karen to keep her eyes open.
I thought in UK nobody did care about privacy rights.