Thai telecommunications TOT warns of phone bill scams

[webfact]

TOT warns of phone bill scams

BANGKOK: -- (NNT) - State-run telecommunications service provider the TOT Public Company Limited warns of scammers operating through SMS asking for payments on a past-due bill.

According to numerous complaints made with the TOT Contact Center 1100, the victims have reported they received automated calls from an "unknown number" reminding the call receiver of an unpaid fee, with the

similar message sent through SMS. The receiver was then connected through the caller identified themselves as a TOT official who asked for the receiver's name and identification. The call receiver was later asked to

transfer the past-due fee, claiming that the case will be brought to court if unpaid.

The TOT Public Company advises customers to avoid sharing personal details, and stresses that their system of contacting their customers is only through landline.

-- NNT 2010-02-15

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[Scott]

So if you get a notice by land line, then it's not a scam?

[toptuan]

Another TOT scam to be alert for: Always check your phone bills carefully.

For six months I detected local and long-distance charges on my bill which I did not initiate. It wasn't much, but over six months it added up to quite a few hundred baht.

Every month, I had to hand-carry the bill to the inconvenient phone office (20 km. out of town), explain the problem, and wait for 20-30 minutes while they haggled it out in the backroom and finally allowed me to pay my bill, less the spurious charges. The only problem, is that they continued to carry the unpaid balances (representing the bogus charges) on my statement, rather than simply giving me a credit. So, I had to deal with an inflated final balance in addition to new unwarranted charges each month. Yes, it got complicated.

I finally told them, "Fix the problem or I plan to go to TT&T" next month. They fixed the problem: disabled my land line although the ADSL still was enabled. So, I have half the service (at, of course, the same full price). Crappy problem. Crappy solution. Apparently little or no expertise to investigate who was hacking into my phone line to make the unauthorized calls.

Third-party scams are bad enough, but when it's perpetuated by an inept phone company staff (accountants and techies both), it's downright exasperating.

Edited February 15, 2010 by toptuan

[Sisaketmike]

Another TOT scam to be alert for: Always check your phone bills carefully.

For six months I detected local and long-distance charges on my bill which I did not initiate. It wasn't much, but over six months it added up to quite a few hundred baht.

Every month, I had to hand-carry the bill to the inconvenient phone office (20 km. out of town), explain the problem, and wait for 20-30 minutes while they haggled it out in the backroom and finally allowed me to pay my bill, less the spurious charges. The only problem, is that they continued to carry the unpaid balances (representing the bogus charges) on my statement, rather than simply giving me a credit. So, I had to deal with an inflated final balance in addition to new unwarranted charges each month. Yes, it got complicated.

I finally told them, "Fix the problem or I plan to go to TT&T" next month. They fixed the problem: disabled my land line although the ADSL still was enabled. So, I have half the service (at, of course, the same full price). Crappy problem. Crappy solution. Apparently little or no expertise to investigate who was hacking into my phone line to make the unauthorized calls.

Third-party scams are bad enough, but when it's perpetuated by an inept phone company staff (accountants and techies both), it's downright exasperating.

Why don’t you install the right Antivirus software? In addition please download the Yahoo Anti spy, it will find lots of unwanted stuff on your operating system. And properly change to TT&T, there’s always a promotion for new users, but TOT won’t give you anything for free. Good luck.

[rkidlad]

Well I was either scammed by TOT or my apartment.

I couldn't find my mobile in my apartment so I called it from the land line. When I knew where my phone was I hung up. I didn't answer the call but had a 16 Baht phone charge on my apartment bill. The apartment told me that TOT charged me and it wasn't them.

Anyway, as far as I know you don't pay for a call if the reciever doesn't pick-up. Maybe I'm wrong in some cases.

[MTH]

Well I was either scammed by TOT or my apartment.

I couldn't find my mobile in my apartment so I called it from the land line. When I knew where my phone was I hung up. I didn't answer the call but had a 16 Baht phone charge on my apartment bill. The apartment told me that TOT charged me and it wasn't them.

Anyway, as far as I know you don't pay for a call if the reciever doesn't pick-up. Maybe I'm wrong in some cases.

I've called my cell from my TOT landline numerous times, without picking up the call on the cell. Have never been billed for any of those calls.

No I don't misplace my cell that often. I use this to trigger a reconnect for my ADSL modem, I have a crappy TOT line and sometimes my modem drops the connection.

Not sure if it actually helps, but at least it gives me something to do while I wait for it to reconnect.

[rkidlad]

Well I was either scammed by TOT or my apartment.

I couldn't find my mobile in my apartment so I called it from the land line. When I knew where my phone was I hung up. I didn't answer the call but had a 16 Baht phone charge on my apartment bill. The apartment told me that TOT charged me and it wasn't them.

Anyway, as far as I know you don't pay for a call if the reciever doesn't pick-up. Maybe I'm wrong in some cases.

I've called my cell from my TOT landline numerous times, without picking up the call on the cell. Have never been billed for any of those calls.

No I don't misplace my cell that often. I use this to trigger a reconnect for my ADSL modem, I have a crappy TOT line and sometimes my modem drops the connection.

Not sure if it actually helps, but at least it gives me something to do while I wait for it to reconnect.

Yea. I'm pretty sure my apartment ripped me off. 16 Baht. They probably think they're being very clever.

[Scott]

I don't know about now, but years back the calls went through a switchboard in the apartment and they often charged for the calls and their rate was different from the official rate.

Don't know if that type of system still exists.

[MTH]

Must be a switchboard like that in rkidlad's apartment complex. As each minute to a cell from a TOT land line should cost 3 Baht.

Quite the up prizing from 3 to 16…

[hkt83100]

Why don’t you install the right Antivirus software?

Antivirus software for my landline phone? Can you provide a download link?

[astral]

Does TOT know where it's land lines are actually installed???

I remember a few years back being cut off for not paying the bill. I had never recieved it.

I complained and they printed the bill to see the address. Not mine.

They then cross referenced the subscriber name and came up with another address and phone number.

The called to check, but that was not the right info either...............

What a monumental mess.

No wonder they cannot collect the bills

I ended up setting mine up to be paid through Bangkok Bank.

[jaltsc]

I had TOT ADSL service and they kept on double billing me. When I showed them my paid receipts and the double billing, I was told that their computer showed otherwise. On another occasion I received notice that I had not paid a previous bill. Again, I showed them the paid receipt and I was told that their computer showed otherwise. LET ME SEE....IS IT POSSIBLE THAT SOMEONE AT TOT RECEIVES THE MONEY...POCKETS IT...AND DOESN'T ENTER IT INTO THE COMPUTER??? NOOOOOOO, no one here would do something like that...It's dishonest...or is it business as usual? Naturally I switched to another service provider and have not had any problems since.

Edited February 16, 2010 by jaltsc