Virgin Mobile - premium SMS scam
fleury021
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Gracelle_ Posted messages 2 Status Membre -
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Hello,
Virgin Mobile is scamming me with premium-rate texts that supposedly came from my phone: I've been using a VM line for my 12-year-old daughter for several months now. Until now, no problem. We have an Extase S plan at 5.99 euros per month (instead of 9.90 I believe) because we were already customers with them when we requested the plan change - since January 2012 - 2 hours with unlimited texts, not blocked, no commitment.
In August, while checking my accounts, I realized that VM had debited over 90 euros from me!!!! I contacted them, and they said that we had called 53 times 2 premium-rate numbers, 81038 and especially 81083 - each at 1.60 euros!!!!!!! I of course asked my daughter if she was the one who called, and she assured me that she has never called these numbers, nor lent her phone to anyone, nor downloaded music or anything like that. In fact, she only uses it to send (ordinary) texts to her friends and make phone calls (very rarely) if needed. That's it. And until now, on the consumption statements, that's exactly what there was, a few calls and texts to friends. I pointed out to them that several premium-rate texts had been sent while my daughter was at school and doesn't use her phone at those times!!!
VM tells us that they cannot indicate which companies are behind these 2 premium-rate numbers, accuses us of sending them, and demands the corresponding amounts (85 euros already debited from my account in August, and about the same amount on the next September bill). I immediately took the necessary steps with my bank to block the next payment. After a registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt to Customer Service (without a written response from them to date), I have just made the same complaint to their Consumer Service. (so extra cost each time for the registered mail!). On several websites, the same type of scam is mentioned, premium-rate texts not sent by users but of course debited and demanded by Virgin Mobile. The day after discovering this scam and the contact with VM which yielded nothing, we stopped using the phone for fear of having more!!!
What should we do? One wonders if Virgin Mobile is not doing this intentionally to make us leave this plan, which is really interesting for us but maybe not for them! These rates came out when Free cut prices in November-December and other operators, fearing losing their customers, also wanted to lower their prices. According to other VM users, they seem to be quite good at various scams, and it's their word against ours. There's no way we're letting this go and paying for something we didn't send!!!! I'm considering contacting the electronic communications mediator, and if that is not enough, going to court. I hope to resolve this dispute before, but I am determined not to let myself be walked over;
Tell me about your troubles with them if you've had the same type of premium-rate text scam, and how you managed to get out of these entanglements with them.
Thank you in advance for your testimonies.
Configuration: Windows XP / Safari 537.1
Virgin Mobile is scamming me with premium-rate texts that supposedly came from my phone: I've been using a VM line for my 12-year-old daughter for several months now. Until now, no problem. We have an Extase S plan at 5.99 euros per month (instead of 9.90 I believe) because we were already customers with them when we requested the plan change - since January 2012 - 2 hours with unlimited texts, not blocked, no commitment.
In August, while checking my accounts, I realized that VM had debited over 90 euros from me!!!! I contacted them, and they said that we had called 53 times 2 premium-rate numbers, 81038 and especially 81083 - each at 1.60 euros!!!!!!! I of course asked my daughter if she was the one who called, and she assured me that she has never called these numbers, nor lent her phone to anyone, nor downloaded music or anything like that. In fact, she only uses it to send (ordinary) texts to her friends and make phone calls (very rarely) if needed. That's it. And until now, on the consumption statements, that's exactly what there was, a few calls and texts to friends. I pointed out to them that several premium-rate texts had been sent while my daughter was at school and doesn't use her phone at those times!!!
VM tells us that they cannot indicate which companies are behind these 2 premium-rate numbers, accuses us of sending them, and demands the corresponding amounts (85 euros already debited from my account in August, and about the same amount on the next September bill). I immediately took the necessary steps with my bank to block the next payment. After a registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt to Customer Service (without a written response from them to date), I have just made the same complaint to their Consumer Service. (so extra cost each time for the registered mail!). On several websites, the same type of scam is mentioned, premium-rate texts not sent by users but of course debited and demanded by Virgin Mobile. The day after discovering this scam and the contact with VM which yielded nothing, we stopped using the phone for fear of having more!!!
What should we do? One wonders if Virgin Mobile is not doing this intentionally to make us leave this plan, which is really interesting for us but maybe not for them! These rates came out when Free cut prices in November-December and other operators, fearing losing their customers, also wanted to lower their prices. According to other VM users, they seem to be quite good at various scams, and it's their word against ours. There's no way we're letting this go and paying for something we didn't send!!!! I'm considering contacting the electronic communications mediator, and if that is not enough, going to court. I hope to resolve this dispute before, but I am determined not to let myself be walked over;
Tell me about your troubles with them if you've had the same type of premium-rate text scam, and how you managed to get out of these entanglements with them.
Thank you in advance for your testimonies.
Configuration: Windows XP / Safari 537.1
5 réponses
Hello,
Have you downloaded any kind of program like GPS or anything else "free" that could then access the phone module and send SMS...?
Look at the details of the sent SMS (it should be possible) and check the dates and times of those sends.
In general, when you download a program - I did it again last night, a simple mahjong game, Android asks me if I allow this program to access the phone: NO! I DO NOT WANT TO. So, I don't download it!
So, turn off your phone at night. If you had sends during the night, are you charged for those night sends?
On the Internet, this 81083 seems to have made many victims, sometimes more than €1000. If I were you, I would cancel the subscription and change providers and let the provider drag me to court.
Look at this:
http://www.60millions-mag.com/temoignez/forums/forums/communication_et_internet/sms_surtaxe_au_81038_et_81015/
Otherwise, if you are sure that these SMS to 81083 do not appear on the detailed bill, you can contest them. Make a copy of the online communication bill and write with a registered letter demanding the reversal of charges for a service you did not use.
See you later
--
a +1 on my comments - if you enjoyed - that's kind, thank you.
Have you downloaded any kind of program like GPS or anything else "free" that could then access the phone module and send SMS...?
Look at the details of the sent SMS (it should be possible) and check the dates and times of those sends.
In general, when you download a program - I did it again last night, a simple mahjong game, Android asks me if I allow this program to access the phone: NO! I DO NOT WANT TO. So, I don't download it!
So, turn off your phone at night. If you had sends during the night, are you charged for those night sends?
On the Internet, this 81083 seems to have made many victims, sometimes more than €1000. If I were you, I would cancel the subscription and change providers and let the provider drag me to court.
Look at this:
http://www.60millions-mag.com/temoignez/forums/forums/communication_et_internet/sms_surtaxe_au_81038_et_81015/
Otherwise, if you are sure that these SMS to 81083 do not appear on the detailed bill, you can contest them. Make a copy of the online communication bill and write with a registered letter demanding the reversal of charges for a service you did not use.
See you later
--
a +1 on my comments - if you enjoyed - that's kind, thank you.
Good evening fleury021,
The sending of premium SMS cannot be the fault of the operator, and everything that appears on your communication details has indeed been sent, unless proven otherwise. These services are not billed by Virgin Mobile.
If you wish to report this number, you can do so via 33700, a service set up by the state.
Step 1: You forward this SMS as is to the number 33700 (To facilitate the processing of this message, do not add comments before or after the message.)
Step 2: You receive a message from 33700 inviting you to complete your report by sending back to 33700 the number from which you received this abusive SMS (To facilitate processing, send only the number, without adding comments before or after.)
Step 3: You receive a message from 33700 informing you that the report is complete.
Sending an SMS to 33700 is charged at the cost of a normal SMS (not premium).
In your case, you do not seem to have received an SMS from this dubious sender. I therefore invite you to use the 33700 website instead: https://www.33700.fr/
Have a good evening,
Mélina, Community Manager Virgin Mobile
--
We no longer respond to unsolicited DMs. Find the Virgin Mobile community and the experts of the Virgin Mobile Team on our site.
The sending of premium SMS cannot be the fault of the operator, and everything that appears on your communication details has indeed been sent, unless proven otherwise. These services are not billed by Virgin Mobile.
If you wish to report this number, you can do so via 33700, a service set up by the state.
Step 1: You forward this SMS as is to the number 33700 (To facilitate the processing of this message, do not add comments before or after the message.)
Step 2: You receive a message from 33700 inviting you to complete your report by sending back to 33700 the number from which you received this abusive SMS (To facilitate processing, send only the number, without adding comments before or after.)
Step 3: You receive a message from 33700 informing you that the report is complete.
Sending an SMS to 33700 is charged at the cost of a normal SMS (not premium).
In your case, you do not seem to have received an SMS from this dubious sender. I therefore invite you to use the 33700 website instead: https://www.33700.fr/
Have a good evening,
Mélina, Community Manager Virgin Mobile
--
We no longer respond to unsolicited DMs. Find the Virgin Mobile community and the experts of the Virgin Mobile Team on our site.
Note that with Virgin it costs you two SMS, with the "historical" operators it's completely free.
Thank you Virgin for existing otherwise we would be bored.
Thank you Virgin for existing otherwise we would be bored.
It's strange to send these texts without their knowledge.
While waiting for the issue to be resolved, try a prepaid card.
There are no bills and, in principle, but not always true, it depends on the operators, you can't spend beyond the credit, so no big bill.
While waiting for the issue to be resolved, try a prepaid card.
There are no bills and, in principle, but not always true, it depends on the operators, you can't spend beyond the credit, so no big bill.
Hello, the codes you mentioned come from the game Blablaland.com; indeed, this game is meant for children your daughter's age. I am a former player of this game. The first number, 81038, is the current Blablaland number, and the number has changed to 81083 throughout the year.
- Your daughter "Surely paid for a code for 3.00 euros"
- The 3 euro code gave her 2100 Bbl (the game's currency)
- Which she used to buy characters or powers in the game.
I hope I have helped you. Best regards.
- Your daughter "Surely paid for a code for 3.00 euros"
- The 3 euro code gave her 2100 Bbl (the game's currency)
- Which she used to buy characters or powers in the game.
I hope I have helped you. Best regards.
I just discovered that a new premium number (the 81062) had just appeared on my August bill (still with the number 81083), totaling 73 premium texts, not at night (maximum at 9:32 PM!), but sometimes 2 per minute, and a one-week cutoff during our vacation even though we used the phone there. The premium texts appear on the detailed statement, unfortunately, but we never sent them!!!
Virgin Mobile does not want to hear anything, and one of their Angels called me and confirmed (over the phone, of course not in writing) that it is indeed a scam (she had searched online), but she gave me a website to check out (B and You support site???) and a phone number of supposedly a commercial service that allowed me to request a refund. I immediately tried to contact that number, but it is indeed a Bouygues Telecom assistance number, a voicemail type that asks for the order number????
I didn’t understand!
I think she must have looked up where this number 81083 came from, and she found (like us) several user sites that have the same issue with other operators and she just noted the number indicated by the support, but not adapted for Virgin Mobile!!! (reference she cited: http://assistance.b-and-you.fr/questions-220158-hor-forfait-numero-surtaxe-81211-et-81083). I asked her to send me this link by email, she refused! However, she confirmed that VM would indeed demand the amounts from me, I asked her to confirm it in writing.
I sent my request for contract termination today.
I am awaiting a response from the consumer service to whom I wrote at the end of last week, waiting for a possible solution. I clearly stated that I want to settle everything regarding my plan but not the "famous ghost texts."
Can anyone tell me if I have to go to court how that works and how to prove our good faith? Thank you again for your help, it’s nice!
Unfortunately, there is no scam. The best option would have been to take a capped plan so that the money would be deducted from the call minutes.
Please check on your daughter's computer that she is not using this service.