Beware — MobiPlanet 57976 scam number on GoMo.ie in Ireland (and other scams by UME Limited).

I pay for my 75-year-old mother’s phone in Ireland and she started getting charges for premium numbers every month. 57976 is the number.

I don’t know exactly what happened, but I think she clicked on an online ad somewhere. And I noticed these strange charges on her bill every month. She did not sign up for any ‘content service’ or subscribe to anything.

My bill, for just one month. When you look at your phone however, these messages do not appear in your text timeline on the date and time displayed on your bill.

From reading what other users have been saying, the scam works like this: According to PayforitSucks.com
“When you access the internet via mobile data (as opposed to WiFi), the networks “leak” your number to “third parties”. When you click a link on a web page, your network sends your MSISDN to the third party company called an “Accredited Payment Intermediary”.”

This is the equivalent of walking down the street and having someone dip their hand into your pocket to take €10 out because you looked at an advertisement at a bus stop.

When you text STOP — this is what happens…

Even when you text STOP, it does not work, which is already illegal. This is what happened with my mum’s phone. Those texts above cost €2.50 each

When you go to the Mobi Planet website, you are given a phone number to call, to cancel those texts that you never signed up for. I called late on a Saturday evening and got through to someone in a call centre in Dublin, which says to me that they get a LOT of calls to help people unsubscribe from this scammy text message.

This was confirmed by the person in the call centre company which is called “Unsubscription Services Limited”. Their whole business revolves around cancelling subscriptions on behalf of scammy companies like Cliq Digital and UME Limited.

What this says to me is that this is a big business where these premium text companies pay other companies to manage the unsubscription service. Normally, you should be able to text STOP to the number to unsubscribe, but this does not work.

This is the number to call to cancel those calls ‭+353 (1) 686 9147‬.

The woman on the other end of the phone told me to send an email to help@umelimited.com. From reading other complaints from people around the UK and Ireland, other people have said the company will try to offer HALF of a refund for their charges. (Even though you are entitled to a full refund)

This company should be reported to ComReg in Ireland.

Ume Limited is based in Maidenhead, UK.

This is their managing director. Richard Keeley

Richard Keeley — Managing Director — Universal Mobile Enterprises | LinkedIn

This is their profile on the companies office in the UK:

UNIVERSAL MOBILE ENTERPRISES LIMITED — Officers (free information from Companies House)

This is the company that owns UME, called Cliq Digital, which is based in Germany

Management Team

Luc Voncken is the CEO of this company, which made €20M on apps, games, and of course, scammy premium-rate numbers that you can’t unsubscribe from. They depend on people like you to not unsubscribe, and when you make a complaint, they offer to pay half of your money back.

Luc Voncken - Chief Executive Officer - CLIQ Digital | LinkedIn

Here’s the number for Cliq Digital (based in Amsterdam)
+31 20 794 7500

Here’s the number for Comreg Ireland to report this company.

Consumer: 018049668
consumerline@comreg.ie

I’d love to hear what other people have to say about this company, and how this practice can be stopped.