FACUA warns of reverse-charge calls from Africa and eastern Europe

Those who know someone in any of the countries listed and normally speak to them by phone should check the number on their screen before picking up, and ignore it if they do not recognise it.

FACUA-Consumers in Action has had numerous reports of calls from numbers with the country codes 225 (Côte d'Ivoire, formerly the Ivory Coast), 233 (Ghana), 234 (Nigeria), 355 (Albania), and 387 (Bosnia), who end up getting charged just for answering.

Where a mobile or landline customer does fall victim to one of these additional-tariff number scams, FACUA says, they should notify their operator in writing to advise them and request an itemised bill which breaks down the cost of the rogue call.

The customer can then opt not to pay this part of the bill and, if the phone company sends reminders and the customer still does not pay, the operator is not permitted to cut their line off.

This is harder where bills are paid by direct debit, but through online banking, the customer can normally 'bounce' the payment in full and restore it to their account, then request an amended bill from their provider.

According to Order number PRE/361/2002 of February 14, Article number 8 states that a telecommunications company is not allowed to cut off a customer who has contacted them to dispute a bill or who does not pay a charge relating to additional-tariff numbers.

Some private-sector companies run their businesses using additional-tariff numbers, where the customer is charged if they answer, and, although not ethical, is not illegal.

FACUA says if a phone customer refuses to pay for a call they have been scammed by, but does not want their operator to block access to other additional-tariff lines, they should put this in writing to the Consumer Arbitrators' Board or the Secretary of State for Telecommunications.

Photograph: Matt Madd/Flickr