Premium Rate Scams: ICO, OFT,TS, FSA, where are the Regulators?

[El Gringo]

http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/busin...p?cmd=3&id=813
The service provider stated that opt-ins varied from 3rd party purchases from companies such as News International and Monster mob (hard opt-ins) and opt-ins obtained as a result of consumers having provided their details whilst using previous Antiphony services (soft opt-ins).

News International, Monster mob, previous Antiphony services
(supplied mobile phone numbers to):
v
v
Antiphony Limited
Wireless Information Network Limited
(aggregator/service/content provider)
(sent reverse billed sms to 'customers')
v
v
Mobile Network Operators billed the the recipients ('customers')
v
v
'Customers'
The Executive received 76 consumer complaints in respect of the Sex Dates service, 52 of whom specifically indicated to PhonepayPlus, that the SMS messages received from the service were unsolicited.
.................................................. ....

http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/busin...p?cmd=3&id=793
The service was also promoted through SMS marketing to opted-in numbers, which had been supplied by 'DLG', a customer profiling and marketing company and also via the company website imob.tv.

Data Locator Group Ltd (DLG)
company website imob.tv
(supplied mobile phone numbers to):
v
v
International Mobile Solutions Ltd (IMS)
Zamano Limited
(aggregator/service/content provider)
(sent reverse billed sms to 'customers')
v
v
Mobile Network Operators billed the the recipients ('customers')
v
v
'Customers'
The PhonepayPlus Executive (“The Executive”) received over 170 consumer complainants in respect of a service......
The majority of complaints related to unsolicited messages sent by the information provider to numbers purchased from a third party supplier.
........................................

Phonepayplus investigates aggregator/service providers and sometimes content providers.

but the http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en...e+Search&meta= Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) "is responsible for regulating and enforcing the access to and use of personal information."

These data companies are not investigated.

and the http://www.oft.gov.uk/ OFT. "Enforces consumer protection law" and http://www.essex.gov.uk/maintenance.htm Trading Standards "help protect the public, and honest businesses, from rogue traders and illegal practices".

The content traders are not investigated.

and it was intended that the mobile phone accounts would be subject to regulation from the http://www.fsa.gov.uk/ albeit in a 'liberal' manner.

The Mobile Network Operators are not investigated.
...............................

We know who the 'authors' of the multimillion pound scams are but do we know who are behind the scams. Do they have influence (with Government/BERR(DTI)) in deciding regulatory policy/operational decisions?

[El Gringo]

We know who the 'authors' of the multimillion pound scams are but do we know who are behind the scams.

A better way to put this: In whose interest is it for the scam to succeed? Where does the revenue go? ('follow the money')
We know the network operators and aggregator/service providers have a vested financial interest in the generated revenue but whose upstream of the content provider?

News International, Monster mob, previous Antiphony services
(supplied mobile phone numbers to):
v
v
Antiphony Limited
Wireless Information Network Limited
(aggregator/service/content provider)
(sent reverse billed sms to 'customers')
v
v
Mobile Network Operators billed the the recipients ('customers')
v
v
'Customers'
The Executive received 76 consumer complaints in respect of the Sex Dates service, 52 of whom specifically indicated to PhonepayPlus, that the SMS messages received from the service were unsolicited.

http://www.gomonews.com/service-prov...in-the-middle/
Service providers are mobile’s piggies-in-the-middle
May 15, 2008

This chat stemmed from my recent tirades against PhonePayPlus (PPP). Weatherall argues that the PPP is being treated as an “outsourced resource for customer complaints” by the network operators. Got a complaint about content? – then call the PPP, is the operator’s attitude.

Which is all well and good until you look at who’s getting all the revenue. Out of a £1.50 Premium Rate text, the service operator takes around four to six pence. The content provider gets around 90 pence and the rest goes to the network operator.

so why does Antiphony Limited get 90p and Win plc get four to six pence and the network operator and Government (VAT) only get 54p ?

What value does Antiphony put into the revenue 'value chain' to deserve 90p from every £1.50 billed?

Content providers like Antiphony buy their 'customer' data lists from marketing/data collecting companies represented by trade bodies like the DMA. http://www.dma.org.uk/content/home.asp
The DMA also 'own' and operate the Telephone Preference Service(TPS) and the Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS)

How much revenue does the Premium Rate Industry generate to the DMA marketing industry?

http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/
It's also not possible to register any mobile phone numbers on the TPS to protect them from receiving unsolicited reverse billed premium sms. That obviously helps the revenue flow generated from unauthorized debiting of mobile phone accounts.

That begs the obvious question. Why don't companies like Antiphony Limited appear to get complaints from Limited companies: (Including organisations such as Hospitals, Schools, Government Departments and other Corporate subscribers)?

Is it possible the TPS and CTPS lists are used by scammers and the 'industry' to ensure they don't upset the wrong people? Are the lists being used to protect the 'industry' or the public?

http://corporate.mpsonline.org.uk/CT...tCleansers.asp
List Cleansers

All these companies offer (Corporate) TPS cleansing services. The companies marked (SME) specialise in offering cost effective cleansing solutions to small to medium enterprises wishing to screen low volume numbers.

Electric Marketing Ltd (SME)
Address: 22 John St
London
WC1N 2BY

Contact: Robert Bingham
Tel: 0207 419 7999
Email: robert@electricmarketing.co.uk
Web: www.electricmarketing.net/ctpsscreening.html
Description: FREE CTPS checker for you to use on our website - just type in the number you want to call and we tell you if it is OK to call or not. For larger quantities, we offer a CTPS screening service. Simply upload your datafile to our site (easier than it sounds) and we will return the file to you with all the registered numbers marked CTPS. Easy to use, fast (turnaround time is under 2 hours) and only 1p per phone number. So to screen a list of 1,000 phone numbers, the price is just £10.


Wireless Information Network
Address: Unit 1 Cliveden Office Village
Lancaster Road
High Wycombe
Bucks

HP12 3YZ

Contact: Kate Collin
Tel: 01494 750 500

http://www.dma.org.uk/training/evt-article.asp?id=4468



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Afternoon session - Understanding and improving the consumer experience

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