My wife borrowed her father's Verizon cell phone for awhile, and now they (the company) are saying there's about a hundred dollars worth of charges for games and music downloads that we don't know anything about.
She made a few calls, and made a few pictures*, which she e-mailed to us, but that's all. I've heard of people being able to listen in on cell phone calls, but is it possible to do more? Any techies out there know anything about this?
*BTW one of the pictures she took was the one you see here as my residency photo. I thought it was kidding around time, hence the "thinker" pose. She was actually conspiring with the mayor's wife to give me my residency as a birthday present. Great present, but I usually look a bit doofier.
[ June 23, 2005, 11:01 PM: Message edited by: James Donahue ]
Posted by Hugh Potter (Member # 5748) on :
i dont imaine the usa to be any different to europe, i know over here that fraudsters can sometimes 'clone' your number and use it to their hearts content, though, if unusual use is noticed, the computer should flag it up and a phone co rep will call you,
a frined was quite lucky last year when her hone was cloned, within a few hours she got a call from vodafone who enquired as to the unusual useage, they then cancelled the sim card and got a new one out to her next day, she had to change her number but at least she was 'let off' the £140 ($260 US) that'd been run up on chatlines and downloads etc !
it might be worth enquiring if the phone co can determine where the calls were made from, if it wasnt too long ago they should have the info as to which main transmitters were used.
Posted by Felix Marcano (Member # 1833) on :
Verizon has charged me for 800 number calls. Plus, every time I dail a number & the other line is "dead" it registers it as a call. (& I get billed for it)
Posted by Hugh Potter (Member # 5748) on :
being charged for freephone numbers such as 800, or the UK's 0800 numbers are charged from a mobile, thats because the person you're calling is picking up the bill, its cheap to pay for a customers landline call, but a mobile tarrif could cost them dear !!
i know if i dial a 0800 number, it tells me to hang up and redial using 800 and that i'll be charged for it,
the only thing that annoys me, is being chraged when you call an emergency number, 999 in my case, or 911 in most of yours, doing th amount of road miles i did until recently (about 50,000 a year) i saw plenty of accidents or had various reasons to call the emergency services, they keep you on the line until a car/ambulance arrives especially if someone is injured, and I get charged for bothering to stop and call !
Posted by Jane Diaz (Member # 595) on :
A friend sent me this this morning...
JUST A REMINDER...In a few weeks, cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sale calls. YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS... To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888/382-1222. It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years. YOU CAN ALSO REGISTER YOUR PHONE NUMBERS ONLINE AT WWW.DONOTCALL.GOV
PASS THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS...
Posted by KARYN BUSH (Member # 1948) on :
thats just fkn crazy...i registered and all...but if i see a number i don't recognize...i let it go to the recording....very few people know my cell and i intend to keep it that way!
Posted by James Donahue (Member # 3624) on :
Stephanie here"
Thanks for the replies.
That's a good point Hugh, that they might have alerted him when they noticed the unusual usage, being,as he is a long-time customer.
Verizon is the company in question. My father, has been on the phone all morning trying to get this resolved, but they have him over a barrel, because to quit his 2-year contract before it expires, they'll charge him $100 some dollars per line (which happens to be 6 lines, so it's cheaper to pay). I don't see how they can do this. Their sales blurb is something like "your problem is our problem". I wonder if the contract warned about insecure systems that they make $$$ on now and then.
I don't even know how to download to the phone and it's on several different dates. As if I have nothing better to do than sit arround and play Mrs. Packman, at an inflated rate no less.
I welcome any more hint and tips, like yours, Jane.
Stephanie
Posted by Checkers (Member # 63) on :
Hiya Stephanie,
I was recently looking at Verizon's calling plans. From what I recall, you can request an itemized bill - for an additional fee. Maybe that will help you narrow down the problem. I would be more concerned with the 3-4 phones that are being used that you and your dad don't have direct control over. My bet is that they are your culprits. If you can't get the answers to your written questions/concerns through Verizon, start filing complaints with the BBB, State Attorney General and/or the FCC. Start documenting everything and if this does not get resolved today, start the letter writing campaign and keep good notes.
Good luck,
Checkers
Posted by James Donahue (Member # 3624) on :
"I would be more concerned with the 3-4 phones that are being used that you and your dad don't have direct control over. My bet is that they are your culprits."
Would that be a problem even though the phone I had was the only one with a download option and the one specificly being charged? Also, the other phones are all with adult family members who are even more computer illiterate than I.
Thanks, Stephanie
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
remember when Paris Hilton got her phone "hacked into"? that pretty much brought the possibility of unauthorized access from a malicious remote user into public awareness. That's all I ever heard about it until now... but your situation sounds similar.
Keep in mind during your negotiations that the charges in question are a lot to you... but the prospect of keeping your family as customers is worth a lot more to them, so they should have good reason to be fair with you.
I've had to be persistant, but I've had many charges waived or reversed from cell phone companies (both T-Mobile, Voicestream & Verizon)
[ June 24, 2005, 03:41 PM: Message edited by: Doug Allan ]
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
. . . . man . . .it just makes you wonder if it was one of the companies own 'punks' who sit around waiting to do phone installations in vehicles . . . . or someone hanging out 'late' at the Verizon office location . . . . . mabey who opened the account to entertain their kid they had to drag to work with them . . .
If something can be hacked into . . . can't it be reverse-hacked to find the first hacker???
(PS: Now not only phones, but the recent news is many credit cards numbers are being black marketed to a third party for as little as $45 each, and theives are running up lots & lotsa dollars of debt . . . Posted by Felix Marcano (Member # 1833) on :
you know what REALLY ****es me off? I get automated calls like "you have won a trip to Mexico" (or something) Call this number to redeem your prize. One day I was bored & played along, & they're saying something something, give me your credit card number & we'll send you info. YEAh, right. So I keep playing along- ok, well send me some paperwork by fax & I'll give you my card #. NO, but... NO. Fax me. So we went along for a little bit until I told them to take a hike. Actually I said a little more than that, but Steve & Barb wouldn't let me post it! LOL!
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
quote:Originally posted by Felix Marcano: you know what REALLY ****es me off? I get automated calls like "you have won a trip to Mexico" ...
Yeah... could'a been worse, they could have been tryin' to persuade you with free trip to Puerto Rico
(I see national ad campaigns all the time offering me to win a trip to Hawaii!! ...now that's not even worth the price of a lottery ticket )
Posted by Bruce & Deb Newton (Member # 2312) on :
The following was copied and pasted from the above site.
Here's the truth:
A national directory will be compiled, but numbers will be included on an opt-in basis. If a cell phone subscriber does nothing, the number will not be listed. When the directory is ready, it will be available only as part of the existing 411 directory service, accessed by calling in and asking for a specific number. It will not be published in a book or on the Internet. And it will not be sold to telemarketers.
Cell phone subscribers can list their numbers on the do-not-call registry if they choose, but there is no deadline to get on the list, as the e-mail messages now circulating suggest
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