PhonepayPlus, the UK regulator of premium rate telephone services has fined a company for setting up fake 'voting' lines for ITV shows including I'm A Celebrity and Britain's Got Talent that were just one digit different to the official numbers.
Subhan Universal Limited operated ten 090 numbers that, expect for one digit, were identical to the numbers used as voting lines by popular television programmes “Britain’s Got Talent” and “I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!”
The phone numbers were designed to take advantage of people voting for their favourite act who had accidently miss-dialled and even played a recorded messaging saying "Thanks for voting".
The calls made to the premium rate phone numbers were charged at £1.02 plus standard network charges, and operated between 6 May 2012 and 31 May 2013, when they were suspended.
Company must refund victims
PhonepayPlus imposed a formal reprimand and a £6,000 fine. It has also said the company must fully refund within 28 days all those who were caught up in the scam who ask for a refund.
The regulator was alerted to the scam after receiving a complaint from a viewer who had attempted to call one of the Britain's Got Talent voting lines.
For more information visit the Phonepayplus website.
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To report a fraud and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.
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