Scam News Update....

Many tip-offs sent to the rip-off tip-off team relate to premium rate telephone service providers and were subsequently forwarded, for further action/investigation, to PhonepayPlus the organisation responsible for developing and policing a Code of Practice relating to the content and advertising of premium rate telephone services.

In the run up to Christmas, numerous tip-offs about counterfeit goods on sale up and down the country were received and forwarded to the relevant Trading Standards Service for further investigation.

Some of the outcomes are listed below.

Parcel Delivery Services - promotional card with missed delivery around the Christmas period which invited people to call to rearrange delivery. The service provider was found to be in breach of the ICSTIS Code of Practice because the promotional card was misleading and the pricing information was not sufficiently prominent.
Result - The service was given a £10,000 fine, ordered to stop operating until it fulfills the requirements of the ICSTIC Code, required to obtain copy advice on all premium rate promotions for 6 months and pay compensation for reasonable and valid claims.

Text Message Promotion ... 'Congrats your claim number ....' - The service provider was found to be in breach of the ICSTIS Code of Practice because the service was found to be inappropriate. Also, the promotional material failed to state the likely playing time or full cost of the call to the service.
Result- The service was ordered to stop operating until it fulfills the requirements of the ICSTIS Code and to pay for the cost of the investigation.

Flights to Ibiza - A text message sent to a mobile phone user claimed that he had won two flight tickets to Ibiza, despite the fact he hadn't entered a competition and, as it was his employer's mobile phone, didn't give out his number . To claim the prize the 'winner' had to call a premium rate number at £1.50 per minute, but no time limit for the length of the call was given. The company responsible for operating and promoting the service was found to be in breach of the ICSTIS Code of Practice.
Result - The company was fined £5,000 and the service is no longer in operation.

Text Message ... "Wow! Xmas SMS offer! ... flights to New York - . To claim the 'offer' the recipient had to call a premium rate number at £1.50 per minute - average call time 2.5 minutes. The message failed to inform potential callers that calls would cost more from a mobile and did not supply full PO BOX address details as required. It also failed to mention that the 'flights to New York' could only be claimed following adherence to a number of terms and conditions, including that of staying at specific hotels detailed by the service provider.

The company responsible for operating and promoting the service was found to be in breach of the ICSTIS Code of Practice.
Result - The company was fined £2,500 and access to the service was barred for six months

Racing Tipster Service - A company offered a free phone number (which was actually a premium rate number) to its betting service. When ringing this number the caller was redirected to another premium rate number. The callers were not told they were ringing a premium rate number. The company responsible for operating and promoting the service was found to be in breach of the ICSTIS Code of Practice.
Result - The service provider was issued with a formal reprimand and is now required to summit all future services to the ICSTIS Secretariat for approval.

Text Message ... 'You have been awarded a Sony Widescreen TV or a 'mystery musical gift '' - To claim the award the recipient was asked to call a premium rate number costing at least £1.50 per minute. The likely length of the call was not indicated nor was the closing date for the competition. Monitoring by ICSTIS showed that callers were automatically awarded their 'mystery musical gift' - a mobile phone ringtone which might be incompatible with their phone - and entered into a draw for the Sony TV.
Result - The company was fined £2,000 for breaching the ICSTIS Code of Practice with misleading advertising. ICSTIS also issued a formal reprimand and warned that any future similar breaches would be viewed more seriously.

Counterfeit goods - Rogue traders selling counterfeit goods, particularly CDs, DVDs, videos and computer games, were blitzed at car boot sales and markets by Trading Standards and the Police, in joint raids across the Country.
Result - The confiscation of 1000s of illegal goods, destined for the Christmas market, further investigation and potential prosecution of the perpetrators.

If you know of scam operating in your area ...

Tell your local Trading Standards Service and tell us - it may help us to stop them and protect other people.