Is this sort of thing legal?

Got the following spam, which tells people to dial up a premium rate
0906 number.

Surely Oftel would take a dim view of this?

--------------------

Hi Babe
I've read your Aol profile looking for casual fun. I we had a lot
in common so here goes. I'm 5'6 with long blond hair a slim
petite figure and hopfully a good sence of humour. I'm age 30
enjoy going out to pubs and restaurants and having a fun time.

I can drive and would like to get to know you with a view to a
no strings relationship (after all I am Married) He is away from
home working quite a lot and I see you live close by but, not
too close. I could accomodate, but would prefer discreet hotel
fun.

I'm Not allowed to send files or download them from work they
have a firewall up to stop us. If you want to talk further and see a
my photo. It can be found on an adult singles site just follow these
simple instructions to log on.

Log off the internet and run Hyperterminal in your programs,
accessories communications menu on windows. Enter the name
"uk contacts" and then the phone number 09064700816 and click
dial. That will bring up an adult singles contact site. My photograph
is called 29.bmp in the female users area.

Just log in with your own name or any name, and go to File menu.
Type F for files then L for list then 2 female file area.



Sharon xxx

 

http://www.icstis.org.uk/

should, and even might, be interested enough to do something about it.
They're the people who have responsibility for premium lines.

 

Try below: I just had one for her mobile. Premium rate SMS. Icstis
can tell you who it is and then you can track down the bods and tell
them to **** off!

HTH


http://www.icstis.org.uk/icstis2002/PhoneNumberLookup/AskPhoneNumber.asp

Start Paste/

Check a premium rate number

This is what we know about the number you entered (09064700816).

We do not have any specific information about this number at present.
However we can tell you the following.
This is classified as a Special Services, open ended time dependent
charge or fixed fee up to £1.50 for BT customers number.
It is provided by BT.
And costs 60ppm [in pence or pounds where 'pm' means 'per minute' and
'pc' means 'per call'].
This premium rate number has been allocated to the company listed
above. This company is unlikely to be the provider of the service but
they should be able to help you if you want to find out what type of
premium rate service it is (such as voting, competition or chat
lines). Their contact details are shown below.

If you are already aware of the type of service and you would like to
make a complaint about its content or promotion, please scroll down
and click on the orange button.

Company name: BT
Contact: Customer Services Department
Phone number: 0800 800 170

end /Paste

 

"Bulletin board dating - for when you're too much of a munter for Teletext"

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Champ

Sorry about that. I did tell her to stay away from people we know, this
one must have slipped through.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Manufacturer of the "Champion-105" range of rearsets
and Ducati Race Engineer.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
ZZR1100, Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"

 

Well, I'm very bored, so I've just reported it via that site. We'll
see.

 

Yup - especially as it doesn't have the mandatory call cost reminder in
the notice.

The problem would be that I suspect that Oftel wouldn't have the
ability to trace the spammer - and that it might be a joe-job hitting a
legitimate premium-rate number for revenge.

Phil

 

The thing that is illegal is not stating the call rate.





--
Remove NOSPAM to get email address

"A computer is like an air conditioner: Once you open windows, it stops
working."

http://www.f1ngers.com - THE unofficial newsgroup of F1

 

Jeez, you must be bored. I'd lose count of the number of such spams I(
got, if I ever bothered to read them before hitting delete. Admittedly
most of them are US ones, but life's too short to even look at them,
let alone do anything about it.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2
`\|/`
`

 

Oh, sure, most of my spam goes straight in the bin without being
opened. I guess I was bored, and there was something about the
subject line of this one that made me open it. But I don't think I've
seen any spam asking me to dial a premium rate number before.