Premium-Rate Number Scam

Premium-rate telephone numbers charge callers well above the standard per-minute rate — in some jurisdictions several pounds or dollars per minute — with a portion of that revenue flowing to the number's owner. Scammers obtain premium-rate number licences and then create pretexts to drive calls to them: fake competition prize lines, bogus customer service numbers, counterfeit utility helplines, or social engineering calls that put victims on hold.

The deception often involves a façade of legitimacy. Victims may be told they have won a prize but must call to claim it, that their utilities account has a problem requiring a call to a specialist line, or that a parcel is held and requires a phone call to arrange delivery. Each minute spent on hold or navigating a fake menu system generates income for the fraudster.

Regulatory bodies like Ofcom in the UK cap rates and require disclosure, but scammers use jurisdictions with weaker rules or obtain numbers through intermediaries. Victims should always verify customer service numbers through the official organisation's website, and be cautious of any number presented in an unsolicited communication.