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Anyone heard of this text scam?

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  • 23-11-2019 3:36pm
    #1
    Biodegradable
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 350 ✭✭


    There's apparently a scam going around at the moment reporting to be from Boot's pharmacy. It tells you you've won a second place prize and to click on a link, and then after that you enter your email and phone number. You will then get a text back that reads something like "congratulations, you are involved in blah blah, if you wish to leave please send the following message (as instructed)" and once you send that message (as instructed) you will be charged circa €10.

    So my question is, how do they 'get' this money unless it's an actual phone company that's running the scam? And if it's that easy, why can't they just charge €100 for the text? Why only €10. Is it not at all possible to report these numbers to the police in their country?


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    #2
    Sonny noggs
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,523 ✭✭✭Sonny noggs


    Ha, I won first prize! Second prize is for losers.


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    #3
    NSAman
    Registered Users Posts: 3,438 ✭✭✭NSAman


    Had it from “Tesco” on my irish mobile... thing is, I live in the States and haven’t been in a Tesco in about three years..;)


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    #4
    Del2005
    Registered Users Posts: 18,993 ✭✭✭✭Del2005


    Biodegradable wrote: »
    There's apparently a scam going around at the moment reporting to be from Boot's pharmacy. It tells you you've won a second place prize and to click on a link, and then after that you enter your email and phone number. You will then get a text back that reads something like "congratulations, you are involved in blah blah, if you wish to leave please send the following message (as instructed)" and once you send that message (as instructed) you will be charged circa €10.

    So my question is, how do they 'get' this money unless it's an actual phone company that's running the scam? And if it's that easy, why can't they just charge €100 for the text? Why only €10. Is it not at all possible to report these numbers to the police in their country?

    Most people will have €10 credit on a PAYG phone, very few would have €100. Lots of small thefts make a lot of money.


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    #5
    mickdw
    Registered Users Posts: 23,368 ✭✭✭✭mickdw


    They get the money via your phone. It's not the phone companies scam but imo they could do more to stop these type of outfits.
    Simple advice is dont click on random links.
    I got the boots one via text message last week.


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    #6
    Biodegradable
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 350 ✭✭Biodegradable


    mickdw wrote: »
    Simple advice is dont click on random links.
    Do you mean on your computer or on phone? I don't think there's any harm on clicking on them unless you don't give away your passwords or bank acc numbers.


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    #7
    Del2005
    Registered Users Posts: 18,993 ✭✭✭✭Del2005


    Biodegradable wrote: »
    Do you mean on your computer or on phone? I don't think there's any harm on clicking on them unless you don't give away your passwords or bank acc numbers.

    On any device. People got signed up to subscription scams from clicking links.

    Even if they get nothing from you by clicking on the link you have validated the email address, you'll get way more spam.


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    #8
    Biodegradable
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 350 ✭✭Biodegradable


    Del2005 wrote: »
    On any device. People got signed up to subscription scams from clicking links.

    Even if they get nothing from you by clicking on the link you have validated the email address, you'll get way more spam.
    Which email address though? Would that be any email address that you're currently signed in with at the time? Most likely the gmail address so?


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    #9
    Del2005
    Registered Users Posts: 18,993 ✭✭✭✭Del2005


    Biodegradable wrote: »
    Which email address though? Would that be any email address that you're currently signed in with at the time? Most likely the gmail address so?

    The address in the To line of the email.


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    #10
    Weltsmertz
    Registered Users Posts: 308 ✭✭Weltsmertz


    mickdw wrote: »
    They get the money via your phone. It's not the phone companies scam but imo they could do more to stop these type of outfits.
    .

    Not true. These scammers need business agreements with the mobile operator in order to be able to take the money and most of it goes to the mobile companies.


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    #11
    mickdw
    Registered Users Posts: 23,368 ✭✭✭✭mickdw


    Del2005 wrote: »
    Most people will have €10 credit on a PAYG phone, very few would have €100. Lots of small thefts make a lot of money.

    And if 100s were being taken from lots of people daily, something would get done pretty quick to shut them down.


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    #12
    The Nal
    Registered Users Posts: 12,841 ✭✭✭✭The Nal


    What sort of halfwit would fall for this?


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    #13
    Cabaal
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 28,497 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cabaal


    The Nal wrote: »
    What sort of halfwit would fall for this?

    Plenty,
    Greed makes people do stupid things


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    #14
    Stop moaning ffs
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,850 ✭✭✭Stop moaning ffs


    Topped up €20 on Sunday and generally don’t make calls mostly use WhatsApp.

    Just got 8 texts from some gaming company I’ve never signed up to then an alert from Three saint I have less than €2.50 credit remaining.

    I’ve no idea wtf just happened. Called three and they’ve blocked the number from my phone but the lady warned me they often switch numbers so watch out next month of it happens again.

    The number is 59577 and it seems to be some premium messaging/gaming thing?

    Just a heads up be careful


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    #15
    Biodegradable
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 350 ✭✭Biodegradable


    Cabaal wrote: »
    Plenty,
    Greed makes people do stupid things
    In this case it's not greed though, as you'd be texting to opt out!


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    #16
    Biodegradable
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 350 ✭✭Biodegradable


    Stop moaning ffs wrote: »
    Topped up €20 on Sunday and generally don’t make calls mostly use WhatsApp.

    Just got 8 texts from some gaming company I’ve never signed up to then an alert from Three saint I have less than €2.50 credit remaining.

    I’ve no idea wtf just happened. Called three and they’ve blocked the number from my phone but the lady warned me they often switch numbers so watch out next month of it happens again.

    The number is 59577 and it seems to be some premium messaging/gaming thing?

    Just a heads up be careful
    So they can take money from you just by texting you? Did Three refuse to refund this?
    Stop moaning ffs wrote: »
    Just got 8 texts from some gaming company I’ve never signed up to then an alert from Three saint I have less than €2.50 credit remaining.
    What is Three saint?


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    #17
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    Biodegradable wrote: »
    What is Three saint?

    A typo for saying


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    #18
    Stop moaning ffs
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,850 ✭✭✭Stop moaning ffs


    Biodegradable wrote: »
    So they can take money from you just by texting you? Did Three refuse to refund this?
    What is Three saint?

    Sorry. Typo. Meant said.

    They can’t refund it but gave me the details of the company. Rang it and voicemail saying hold and be out through to customer service. Waited a while. No luck. Just hung up.
    No idea how they got my number. And only on this number a few months.


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    #19
    Biodegradable
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 350 ✭✭Biodegradable


    Stop moaning ffs wrote: »
    Sorry. Typo. Meant said.

    They can’t refund it but gave me the details of the company. Rang it and voicemail saying hold and be out through to customer service. Waited a while. No luck. Just hung up.
    No idea how they got my number. And only on this number a few months.
    I don't understand how it could be that easy! If all you have to do is text somebody to get their money, then would do other scams (like the one I mentioned) try to even get you to text back?

    Three mightn't be telling everything. Were you ages waiting to talk to a rep when you rang Three!


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    #20
    Stop moaning ffs
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,850 ✭✭✭Stop moaning ffs


    Biodegradable wrote: »
    I don't understand how it could be that easy! If all you have to do is text somebody to get their money, then would do other scams (like the one I mentioned) try to even get you to text back?

    Three mightn't be telling everything. Were you ages waiting to talk to a rep when you rang Three!

    Ah not at all. The girl was very helpful. Apparently if you go on certain sites with pop ups it can grab your info. I was using a dodgy streaming site to watch a series not available here and it was pop ups galore before I could watch so it was probably that.
    She blocked the number from calling or texting me and I blocked it from my phone too.


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    #21
    Biodegradable
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 350 ✭✭Biodegradable


    Stop moaning ffs wrote: »
    Ah not at all. The girl was very helpful. Apparently if you go on certain sites with pop ups it can grab your info. I was using a dodgy streaming site to watch a series not available here and it was pop ups galore before I could watch so it was probably that.
    She blocked the number from calling or texting me and I blocked it from my phone too.
    I get them too, but I haven't given my number to youtube or facebook, so maybe that's why I don't get them?!


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    #22
    Stop moaning ffs
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,850 ✭✭✭Stop moaning ffs


    Biodegradable wrote: »
    I get them too, but I haven't given my number to youtube or facebook, so maybe that's why I don't get them?!

    Me neither. It’s a mystery


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    #23
    Quackster
    Moderators, Regional South Moderators Posts: 5,795 Mod ✭✭✭✭Quackster


    Stop moaning ffs wrote: »
    Me neither. It’s a mystery

    Did you ask Three to put a premium SMS bar on your account as that's the only way to prevent this happening again?


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    #24
    nthclare
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,315 ✭✭✭nthclare


    The next one's always the winner....


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    #25
    Stop moaning ffs
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,850 ✭✭✭Stop moaning ffs


    Quackster wrote: »
    Did you ask Three to put a premium SMS bar on your account as that's the only way to prevent this happening again?

    That’s what she did yeah. But she said these companies often change numbers so come at your number from a different one and to keep an eye on it next time I top up.

    Here’s the texts I got almost all at once.


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    #26
    Quackster
    Moderators, Regional South Moderators Posts: 5,795 Mod ✭✭✭✭Quackster


    Stop moaning ffs wrote: »
    That’s what she did yeah. But she said these companies often change numbers so come at your number from a different one and to keep an eye on it next time I top up.

    Here’s the texts I got almost all at once.

    No, a premium SMS bar blocks all 53xxx and 57xxx numbers so you can never again get caught out. Your network provider has to provide it if you ask them to.

    https://community.three.ie/t5/3MadeEasy/Premium-Rate-Services-FAQs/ba-p/759382


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    #27
    Stop moaning ffs
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,850 ✭✭✭Stop moaning ffs


    Quackster wrote: »
    No, a premium SMS bar blocks all 53xxx and 57xxx numbers so you can never again get caught out. Your network provider has to provide it if you ask them to.

    https://community.three.ie/t5/3MadeEasy/Premium-Rate-Services-FAQs/ba-p/759382

    Yeah that’s what she did but she just said watch out in case it happens again


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    #28
    Ten Pin
    Registered Users Posts: 2,836 ✭✭✭Ten Pin


    Three aren't innocent in this whole premium SMS issue...

    https://www.boards.ie/ttfpost/107872737

    The gist of it is that Three give your number to these companies.
    Yeah that’s what she did but she just said watch out in case it happens again

    That's a cop out on Three's part, they're either blocking them or they're not.

    Wonder how many people are getting scammed and unaware of it.

    With the drop in revenue from NGN calls, this premium SMS problem could become more common...Comreg of course will do little to rein them in.
    She blocked the number from calling or texting me and I blocked it from my phone too.
    Make sure it's for all premium numbers, not just the one from the sender of the one you received.

    Someone suggested in another thread that under distance selling rules, you should be able to avail of cooling off to get a refund from the premium SMS provider...no idea if that would work.


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    #29
    Biodegradable
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 350 ✭✭Biodegradable


    Stop moaning ffs wrote: »
    Yeah that’s what she did but she just said watch out in case it happens again
    I think what he might have been saying, was that you wouldn't need to watch out if all kinds of 53xxx and 57xxx numbers were blocked... that any number they would change to would be blocked too.


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    #30
    Stop moaning ffs
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,850 ✭✭✭Stop moaning ffs


    Biodegradable wrote: »
    I think what he might have been saying, was that you wouldn't need to watch out if all kinds of 53xxx and 57xxx numbers were blocked... that any number they would change to would be blocked too.

    Hopefully.

    Funny enough I rarely use my credit. Use WhatsApp for calls and texts and threes deal is brillaint and there’s no cut off until your month runs out and you top up again.
    I usually let it run out and use the credit to buy internet add ons for a fiver. Then when they run out but a new top up. I’ve always done that.

    Maybe thy saw me doing it and as previous poster said nipped it in the bud


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    #31
    Biodegradable
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 350 ✭✭Biodegradable


    Ten Pin wrote: »
    Three aren't innocent in this whole premium SMS issue...
    I suppose we all suspected that deep down.
    Ten Pin wrote: »
    The gist of it is that Three give your number to these companies.
    Yeah, but why did they target him? I've had Three sneak 50c off me here and there, but nothing like what happened to this guy!


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