For sale: your mobile phone number

[Jazzy]

British mobile telephone numbers are being offered for sale over the internet and used to send nuisance text messages.



A salesman for an Indian company offered details of telephone numbers of people without any proof they had given permission to receive texts — opening the way to them being bombarded with messages including ones enticing them to claim compensation for accidents or mis-sold financial products.



Experts last night warned that mobile numbers are being passed on from the records of Indian call centres which British customers telephone. Supplying numbers illegally from a call centre would be highly lucrative for Indian workers.



The disclosure comes after The Sunday Telegraph exposed how nuisance, or “spam”, texts are fuelling Britain’s burgeoning compensation culture. They are sent by firms which pass on responses to “claims farmers” who sell compensation claims to lawyers for up to £500 “referral fees”, leading to more claims and higher insurance premiums.



But the latest disclosure raises new concerns over the security of every British mobile telephone.



The offer of UK mobiles which had not “opted in” to receiving text messages came from a representative of RouteSMS Solutions, an Indian firm that sells software and messaging services.



Full article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/mobile-phones/8613335/For-sale-your-mobile-phone-number.html

 

[Jazzy]

This is very scary!

 

[Evil Eye]

I suppose it is at that... can't say I'm all that surprised though...

 

[The Dragon Master]

I think my friend may have been a victim of this. She kept getting phone calls about insurance and claiming stuff... So far she's told 'em all to get stuffed and to take her number off their lists.