Vince Cable

Minister promises MP crackdown on Premium Line Scams

After raising with ministers a series of cases of Twickenham residents who have lost hundreds of pounds in Internet scams, Vincent Cable has been told by the Minister of State at the DTI, Mike O'Brien, that the government is introducing new regulations which will provide consumer redress and enable the authorities to act more quickly against abusers. In the meantime, the regulator of premium calls - ICSTIS - is expected to do more to check new services when they are installed and disconnect scams and services will not be disconnected while disputes are resolved.

Vincent Cable said: "Several people have come to me for help after running up bills of hundreds of pounds as a result of companies based in obscure places like Tuvalu and Tristan da Cunha having perpetrated scams via their Internet connection. BT claims to be powerless but insists on collecting the bill on threat of disconnection - I am pleased to see, therefore, that it is now being made absolutely clear that essential telephone services are to be maintained while disputes are resolved via the telecommunications ombudsman (Otelo)."