Many readers have contacted us to say that they believe they have fallen prey to the same scam. Arthur Harada, from Chester, says: “BT is trying to get £156 from me for telephone calls made via my internet server (Freeserve-one) to Sao Tome and Guinea Bissau in West Africa.

“BT and Freeserve have admitted that they are quite aware of this scam. Freeserve claims the fault lies with rogue software which enters one’s PC dial-up and alters settings.”

He has suggested to BT that it should not pay suspected “rogue” premium rate operators until it has given customers seven working days from receipt of a quarterly bill to protest. But BT has declined, arguing that it can be sued if it does not pay the premium line holder monthly.

David Smith, from London, says that he wanted to put a bar on all 090 calls after suffering what he believes was a similar scam, but One.Tel, his phone operator, was unable to do this.

One.Tel says that it has barred certain 090 numbers after a request from the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services (Icstis), the premium rate services regulator, but it is unable to bar all 090 calls.

Raquel Guerrero, from Kensington, West London, suspects a rogue dialling operation is responsible for running up a £300 phone bill on her ntl phone and internet account. She says: “Ntl has now cut off all my services and won’t restore them until I pay the bill.”

Ntl says that it has now reconnected Ms Guerrero. It is still seeking payment, but it will suspend demands pending an investigation by Icstis.

BT says that for £1.75 a month it can bar all 090 numbers on request and selectively bar international calls. It advises customers to install a firewall to help to prevent unwelcome downloads and says that anyone who suspects that they are victims of a premiun rate scam should contact Icstis on 0800 500212.

MARK ATHERTON

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