"pay For Me" Calls To My Mobile

[scifi]

Over the last week or so I have had about 4 calls to my mobile from different unknown numbers - the numbers are visible, but not in my contacts. When I answer, a recorded message says the caller wants to use the Pay For Me (or Pay 4 Me?) service to connect (i.e. I pay for the incoming call). As the only person who calls me is my wife, and I obviously have her number stored, I refuse the connection. Is this a scam or is someone really that desperate to talk to me? I guess it's a scam. My SIM is only about 4 weeks old, pre-paid on AIS. But I can't find any info on this service from AIS (very quick search). Anyone else getting calls like this? If it is a scam, how would it work? I could call one of the numbers back, but I'd rather just moan about it here. Cheers.

[joskydive]

Yes, I've had a few of these recently. The first one's were polite i.e. How are you, where do you come from, where you stay now? When I've asked them how they have my number they then hang up.

After that and different numbers, they became more aggressive i.e. Get out now! and F*** off and they would immediately hang up. I retained the numbers and gave them to my friendly Lawyer friend. I haven't recieved a call since!

I don't know if it is a scam but it can be quite scary when they are saying abusives. The only way this could be a scam is that you are using up minutes of the time you have paid for via your top up cards, which is really quite trivial amounts.

[nikster]

Good info, Joskydive, this is certainly some sort of scam, maybe they are premium numbers or something?!

I'd complain to AIS or whatever your provider is, tell 'em you never ever want to receive pay for me calls.

[OxfordWill]

I got one too, immediately refused it.. glad to see its likely a scam and not a friend dying in hospital or something¬!

[Gary A]

If it is someone fairly close to me, I will have their number in my phone book. If they call and have no money on their card, they will hang up and I will then call them back. I will NEVER accept a call that asks me to accept the charges.

[TopDogger]

I've had them on and off for over 1yr now.. It's just kids messing around with reverse charges most of the time I think

[nikster]

I've had them on and off for over 1yr now.. It's just kids messing around with reverse charges most of the time I think

Good explanation... when I was a kid we'd make prank calls too

[scifi]

Thanks for the replies all. Since posting, I haven't had any more calls. I guess you are right TopDogger, nothing more sinister than that.

[DavidBrook]

I am with AIS and have only had one of these, which was abusive from the get-go. I reported it, AIS identified the number as one of theirs and dealt with it. No recurrences. I thought they dealt with it pretty well, all things considered, better than they would have done in the UK I suspect.

D