About a month ago, I took an online "IQ Test" and when I got to the end, I was asked to enter my cell phone number to get a PIN for the "results." Although I hesitated, curiosity got the best of me and I bit. I was texted a PIN, I entered it in on the website and got my IQ number.
So yesterday when I got my ATT bill I noticed it was about $30 higher than usual. After carefully reviewing it, I saw I was being charged for some "mobile purchase downloads." Turns out when I entered my phone number, somewhere in the fine print gobbledygook, I was SUBSCRIBING to Flycell. When they send you a text with a PIN, unless you text them back "STOP," you are subscribed!
I got on the phone with ATT and learned a lot. First of all, I had a block put on my line that prevents any download purchases without a PIN. It's free and part of the "parental controls" option (and we don't even have kids at home!). I further learned that unauthorized phone charges from third-parties is getting to be very common. There is a website gathering complaints for a class-action suit.
ATT was great... they reversed the charges and explained how dangerous it is to provide your phone number online... it could be a phishing scam, like the IQ test I took. So much for having a genius IQ... what a joke!.
I'm glad I check my bills as soon as I get an email alert they're available. Some of the stories I read about on the class-action website told about getting charged for months and months before they noticed.
Flycell Scam
November 22nd, 2009 at 07:13 pm
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