Charged £8 for asking a phone number to text me back!!!

[IrriTant]

So I received a call from +97283740155, a number I didn't know whilst driving. 

Got home and sent it a text asking them to text me back @ 14:10

Then at 14:10 VM sent a text saying I had spent £8 since my last bill

Check my data and I still have 1.2gb available

So I guess I was scammed. Turns out this was from Israel

As my VM account it paid via my bank I moved monies out of my main account to project my funds

So how does this £8 get paid and do they have access to my bank details now

I'll be going to the bank today to discuss security

TIA

[IrriTant]

Just checked bank account this morning via PC and no monies have left the account. 

I don't use the phone for mobile banking

[Steven_L]

Hey @IrriTant,

Welcome back to the community and thanks for taking the time to post.
I’m sorry to hear of the issues that you've had with the text message that you sent, the amount that you have described would be added to your next bill from us, the money wouldn't be taken from your account as it happened, it would always be added to your next bill.

Regards,

Steven_L

[IrriTant]

So why £8 for a text?

[Steven_L]

The number that you have text is a scam number that would be the reason that you have been charged that much for the text message. 

When did you send this message to the number as I cannot see anything on our system about this charge. Are you able to send a screenshot of the text message that you have been sent?

Regards,

Steven_L

[IrriTant]

 

[IrriTant]

 

[Kath_F]

Hi IrriTant, 

Thanks for coming back to us with screenshots. 

It can sometimes take a while for things to show up on our end and usually even then we have to wait for the bill to be generated. 

The +9 number looks to be either an international number or one that is relating to a scam. 

As mentioned above by Steve, the £8 will be added to your mobile bill and then taken via your payment method with your normal monthly amount too. 

If you have any further issues, come back and let us know. 

Thanks, 

[IrriTant]

So if it's a scam why not refund users the money?

All that's happened is that some **bleep** has managed to get me to spend £8 which I didn't agree to

[Martin_N]

As you have confirmed you have sent the message, we wouldn't be able to refund that. 

We do appreciate your frustration with that, but sadly we cannot refund it. 

^Martin