Premium rate text scam appearing on Adverts.IE

Run_to_da_hills

I have only noticed this today on Adverts, a highlighted word that appears at random in advertisement texts that will automatically link you to one of these rip off premium text rate scams.

Anyone else come across it?

I wonder if Boards / Adverts are aware of it.

aidan_walsh

Link to an example ad? Are you sure you don't have some nasty adware thing on your PC?

Run_to_da_hills

aidan_walsh wrote: »

Link to an example ad? Are you sure you don't have some nasty adware thing on your PC?

Yes your right, did a scan and it showed up, also appearing else where.

Stinicker

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Yes your right, did a scan and it showed up, also appearing else where.

They are on to you RTDH, time to break up that hard drive and book a one way ticket to South America. Never underestimate the NSA!

Hal Emmerich

That's clever adware:eek:

wailim_2002

I've seen the "buzzing" marketing adverts right beside the submit comment button on adverts.ie; but I've not see the links appearing in text in the ads. Either way the companies behind these types of things should be brought to book if they are not being upfront, clear and honest about everything.

I have raised an issue last night with Adverts.ie because my father had 26 euro of call credit taken. He didn't know exactly what had happened and more frightening still when he saw his credit disappearing he moved from Vodafone to PostPhone but kept his number.... so the problem followed him.

(1) The Ads usually say something like "You've won a prize, click here to claim it" and of course there is nothing on the link except another game enticing you with an iPad if you win.

So how do they get away with that 1st fraudulent step?

(2) The next step is they ask for your mobile number. Its interesting that although there is small print in 3 places advising "This is a premium rate subscription service" at no point does it ever say click continue to subscribe.. it does say "enter your number and click to continue to enter the competition".

How do they get away with this unclear statement? I mean if they have useful services to offer they would target the correct audience and say "click continue to subscribe"

(3) If you give your number over, your guess is as good as mine as to whether they start sending you premium rate text messages or whether they check that you actually do own the number. I guess some do and some don't. They might send you a pin code but the bigger issue is that once they start sending these messages to you it'll feel more like a robery than a competition. However they legitimize it I think their game plan is to hope that a low enough % of people don't complain and seek refunds so that overall they make huge profits from it.

(4) The next issue is unsubscribing. Text "STOP" to xxxxx.... but it doesn't work surprise surprise. "Unable to send message".... but you are supposed to spend your day re-sending until it does work... I mean thats normal afterall. Its like the radio competition phone lines that you can rarely get through to except in this case the panic is to get through before they take you for every penny you've got!

The people behind these things believe their own marketing.. ie that the ads are normal and not fraud but IMO these are as bad as people reaching into your pocket and taking a wad of cash out.

For those of you looking for an example link?

Here is a one such link that came up while browsing around Adverts.ie. It is not the exact same one that got my father but it is the same idea. Adverts have disowned the problem as a google adwords issue.

link

to what you see once you click the advert. You can play the stupid game to get to the next step safely enough but I wouldn't go entering your number in there!

galwayjohn89

You can try install Adblock. I haven't seen ads on adverts in years!

Hal Emmerich

Vuzuggu wrote: »

You can try install Adblock. I haven't seen ads on adverts in years!

You are SOOOOOOOOOO Bannned for saying that!!!!!!!!!!