The UK’s watchdog for premium rate telephone services has imposed a record A$1.2 million fine on six companies found guilty of sending spam and scam text messages to consumers in the UK.
The Independent Commission for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services (ICSTIS) stated that the companies sent unsolicited text messages, made unsolicited phone calls and used automated calling equipment to leave ‘missed calls’ on mobile phones. The companies’ actions were designed to trick consumers into calling premium rate numbers, with calling rates of up to A$4 per minute, to claim prizes that either didn’t exist, were worthless, or did not match the description given.
The six companies are all based outside of the UK but use the same UK agent, Smile Telecom. ICSTIS has instructed that redress be paid to affected consumers yet Smile Telecom is refusing to make any payments unless its clients, the six companies, instruct it to do so.
Along with the A$1.2 million fine, the companies have also been banned from operating premium rate services in the UK and continue to be investigated by ICSTIS. The Office of Communications, the Department of Trade and Industry and UK police have also been alerted to the illegal behaviour.
