Hi
Hope someone on here can shed some light on this scam.
I was recently reviewing an elderly relatives Shell energy phone bill, which was considerably higher than expected as there is a calling plan to cover call costs.
There were a number of 'service calls' itemised.
On calling Shell Energy, they were informed that these were 'auto reverse charges' which are applied automatically when a call from a scammer is answered.
The were told that this cannot be stopped and the only remedy is to change the number which is not really practical.
I have never heard of this practice as I have not had a land line for a number of years, can't find any information on the web or on the ofcom site, and can find no information in the
Shell pricing guide.
Is this really happening? can a phone user be charged for answering the phone before knowing who is there?
This sounds like an open wallet to scammers. Surely it is not legal for a phone company to charge the user.
Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated.
Thank You.