BT, the Internet & premium rate charges

[Mike220359]

Dear All,

This site is brilliant.

In 2004 I had a relativley astronomic 'phone bill from BT which was due after examination of the number listing to Premium Rate numbers. I hadn't rung them, neither had my wife or daughter and my pubescent son (who was probably the best option) denied all knowledge. After contacting BT they confirmed that the charges were correct and were due to our computer dialling the number. After contacting ICTIS it appears that the numbers were used by a Uruguayan company who offered porn downloads.

I assumed therefore that one of my family had downloaded the automatic dialler on purpose, they all denied it. However, after virus checking my computer it seems that I had been infected with a 'Witzen w32' vrus that cancelled the BT connection after 5 minutes and logged the machine onto the porn at a premium rate number. Obviously not happy and clearly not a fault I contacted BT to complain who said that they would investigate. I had a letter back in two days fro BT (I still have it) saying that their systems where not at fault and therefore the bill still stood.

My point is this are BT at fault in any of this since I literally have had money stolen from me (ie taken without my knowledge or power) and is there any way of retrieving my money.

Help if you can

Mike

[pmhread]

Unfortunately it's not BT's fault that you had a virus. Same thing happened to us. I'm sure my wife still thinks it was me hehehe.

Your only course of action would be with the Uruguayan company (yeah right).

[Rich44]

Its not BTs fault that you got the virus and some responsibility has to be placed on the owner of the PC to install and keep up to date anti-virus software, where you may have some success against them though is if your bill was consistantly around say £25 per month and your usage suddenly shot up they should have queried it asap rather than billing at the end of the quarter.

Credit card companies do this if they see suspicious activity why doesnt BT?

On the plus side at least this cannot happen with ADSL and Cable providing you dont have a dial up modem connected to the phone line anymore

[thewifeandI]

You can also ask BT to block PR numbers from being dialled from your line as a further safeguard.

[Butterbean]

Hi Mike. What a pain in the proverbial.

Along with BT blocking premium rate numbers as thewifeandI suggested, there's some software that BT distributes free of charge which will pop up an alert if your computer starts dialling an unknown number - you can download it here. As they say, it won't stop it but will alert you.

Which antivirus software / firewall have you got?

[Mike220359]

We've got Norton and as you said BT have it's own firewall, Norton!

However, I realise that some onus has to be placed on the PC owner, but BT do in essence make money from the Premium Rate phone line. In their reply they did say that such fees are sent to Charity, but at the end of the day (hate that cliche) an illegal (sorry unlawful) act has happened and someone has benefitted from it and the only poor sucker is me!

However, I do remember that a year or so ago there was an American man in UK who was looking into Premium Rate scams and linked a number of the provider companies (of the Premium numbers) who also benefit, with existing phone companies, does anyone know anything about that?

He eventually took a company to court and got them repremanded and his money back, but I can't remember the case

Help!

[goodwill]

hi Mike.

it appears that the numbers were used by a Uruguayan company

Do you still know the 09 premium numbers? They may be connected to the group that have recently been reported to the DTI.

thanks gw