08006800764

shabeer -  who said "looking for candace i have a credit limit so i cant sms or call pls sms ur no."

i hate to brake it to you mate - but "candace" doesn't exist - they just nicked that photo of the "hot chick" you saw off some porn site.

trust me you don't want to call or sms the number they sent you.

read the other messages on this site - it's a scam mate :)

yep looks like these are the people behind it:

http://maybemeet.me/

80200
free message- hi marykaye from gum wants to chat and maybemeet.me txt yes to connect now! 08006800764 2endtxt stop GBP3MSG gbp5pw

don't reply to them whatever you do !!  ("only £3 plus £5 a week" - w*****s !)

Hi Eugene,its Arianne from ZOOKS I want to chat to you maybemeet.me! TXT YES TO CONNECT NOW! for help 0800981229 2endtxtstopR10msgR60sub

This is the scam and the company  is based in Philipines. To you the number will appear prefixed with your country code (+27 in my case because I'm in South Africa).

In my case the lady called Gweneth on on person.com and she possed her nickname as hoteegweneth (her person.com name). She made the first move and requested that I give her my mobile number saying that she will be logging off and she will sms me soon.
The following day I got an sms from +278203986138696 and it reads as follows:

"Hi (my name here), its Geneth from PERSONS I want to chat to you maybemeed.me! TXT YES TO CONNECT NOW! for help 0800981229 2endtxtstopR10msg R60sub"

-Luckily for me I didn't respond to that kinda sms.

In the moment she has suspended her profile on person.com, but her nickname is "hoteegweneth". Mind you on her profile, her location is South Africa in KZN province.

So, they change their profile location to the victim's local city (or country) in order for the victim not to suspect anything.

So, u guys be on the look out for scams like these coz it will cost you an arm!

Text as received:
Hi Cecil, it's Marielle from Buzz I want to chat to you maybemeet.me TXT YES TO CONNECT NOW!for help0800981229 2endtxtstopR10 msgR60sub

I work in the industry with regards to Premium rate sms and I have just receive a notification that this company who runs this service has been barred and fined £250,000. They have also been ordered to pay back all claims.

I believe the provider of the service is called Mobilegate who are based in Austrailier.

It should be pointed out that Dialogue are the aggregators (they are the ones who provide the short codes and the billing) and should be your second point of call if you cant get through to the service provider, Mobilegate.

And answering someone elses question about if the networks make money from these services? Yes, they happily accept a nice cut which is why they're not interested in helping.

nice one :)

http://www.technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=8302


Australian lonely hearts tricked into paying for spam: watchdog

The Federal Court has granted interim orders against three companies over allegations of setting up false dating profiles and SMS spamming.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority alleges that the three companies involved - Mobilegate, Winning Bid and Jobspy - had set up false dating profiles to deceptively obtain user details and had sent SMS messages persuading people to reply to the messages, which were charging them up to $5 per message. They had also used images of people without consent.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/06/01/1243708408133.html
http://www.watoday.com.au/articles/2009/06/01/1243708408133.html
www.brisbanetimes.com.au/technology/lonely-he ... 90602-bt5c.html

ACMA obtains interlocutory orders in SMS spam case [news release]
The Federal Court of Australia has granted interlocutory orders in relation to ACMA's proceedings against Mobilegate Ltd, Winning Bid Pty Ltd, Jobspy Pty Ltd and individuals associated with those companies for allegedly breaching the Spam Act 2003 by sending unsolicited SMS.

ACMA alleges, among other things, that Mobilegate, Winning Bid and International Machinery Parts (now deregistered) sent or caused unsolicited SMS messages to be sent to Australian mobile telephone numbers via the premium rate telephone shortcode 19773366, 19910006 and/or 19724253 for the purpose of:

offering to supply, advertise or promote a service known as 'Safe Divert', which was marketed as a text relay message service, or 'Maybemeet'; and/or
by deception, through the use of fabricated dating profiles, to dishonestly obtain a financial advantage or gain from Australian mobile telephone account holders.
ACMA also alleges that misleading or deceptive representations were made to members of dating websites in contravention of the Trade Practices Act 1974. These representations were designed to entice the recipient to reply to SMS messages at a cost of up to five dollars per message.

Interlocutory orders made in relation to Winning Bid Pty Ltd, Simon Anthony Owen, Tarek Andreas Salcedo and Glenn Christopher Maughan, require, among other things, that these respondents refrain from:

creating, submitting or registering fictitious profiles on dating websites or social networking websites;
posting or otherwise publishing photos or other images of individuals on dating websites or social networking websites without first obtaining the permission of those individuals to do so;
communicating with users of dating websites or social networking websites on those websites through fictitious profiles.
Winning Bid was further ordered to remove or otherwise deactivate fictitious profiles on dating websites or social networking websites it has registered or placed on those websites.

'This is an important case for the Australian Communications and Media Authority', said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman. 'We want to get the message out that the Spam Act applies to more than just email ... it applies to all commercial electronic messages, which very much includes SMS.'

Consent orders were also obtained from Jobspy and Scott Mark Moles to the effect that, amongst other things, they also be restrained from creating, submitting or registering profiles on dating websites and social networking sites; posting photos or images of individuals on any website without permission; or communicating with users of dating or social networking sites.

Australia's Federal Court shows no love for fake date spammers
Posted in: Spam at 20/08/2009 01:13

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has been granted injunctions and declarations in the Federal Court against two companies and three individuals over fake dating profiles and high-priced SMS spamming.

Mobilegate Ltd, Winning Bid Pty Ltd, Simon Anthony Owen, Tarek Andreas Salcedo and Glenn Christopher Maughan were all found guilty of breaching the Spam Act 2003.
http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/315393/

Also see:

Court rules against SMS dating scam
Australia's media watchdog has won a test case against several parties who were running an elaborate text message spamming scheme.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/19/2660407.htm

ACMA granted injunctions and declarations in landmark SMS spam case [news release]
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has been successful in obtaining injunctions and declarations against a number of parties involved in the ACMA's first SMS spam case before the Federal Court. The matter relates to the sending of unsolicited commercial SMS messages.

Justice Logan gave default judgment on 14 August, against five respondents, Mobilegate Ltd, Winning Bid Pty Ltd, Mr Simon Anthony Owen, Mr Tarek Andreas Salcedo and Mr Glenn Christopher Maughan, concerning breaches of the Spam Act 2003.

'This is the first SMS spam case that the ACMA has brought before the courts,' said Chris Chapman, Chairman of the ACMA. 'The significant resources that the ACMA has put into this matter, again demonstrates our commitment to protecting Australians against illegal conduct.'

The ACMA instituted proceedings against eight respondents in the Federal Court in Brisbane in December 2008 alleging contraventions of the Spam Act 2003 and the Trade Practices Act 1974 in relation to premium SMS chat services. The ACMA alleged that the respondents were engaged in a complicated scheme to obtain mobile phone numbers from members of dating websites, using fake member profiles, in order to send commercial electronic messages by SMS.

Unsolicited messages were then sent to the mobile phone numbers offering the opportunity to chat via SMS using services described as the 'Safe Divert' or 'Maybemeet' services. The chat was not offered by genuine members of dating websites but employees of Mobilegate Ltd and Winning Bid Pty Ltd. Consumers were charged up to five dollars per message.

In delivering his judgment Justice Logan noted that the conduct alleged disclosed 'sustained and systemic violation of statutory prohibitions rather than a mere isolated aberration.'

A hearing as to penalty is pending against the five aforementioned respondents.

A further hearing is scheduled to commence on 30 November against the remaining three respondents.