MBS contacting people by telephone? Identify this 0871 number

[Andy M]

A comment left at my web site:

I got rid of the scumware about two months ago,
then yesterday got a call from the above quoting a reference no from 0871 244 1873

is this MBS ? if so how did they get my number
cheers

Here's my response, but no clue on identifying them:

It’s obviously someone who doesn’t want to be easily identified, as calling the number reaches an anonymous automated system that talks about making payments - yes, but to WHO?

It sounds as if it’s some kind of debt collection service, as they tend to sit “below the radar” as their shady nature means they don’t like to identify themselves (for when they make “nuisance calls” to people they think owe them or their clients money).

If you’re brave enough to go through to an adviser and ask them who they are, then do that (dial 141 from a BT line to withhold your number, or use a public telephone box). Otherwise, I’d ignore it until something else happens. I have a policy of ignoring people who don’t have the courtesy to identify themselves and what their business is.

I don’t know how they’d find out your telephone number unless they’ve been sniffing around investigating who their “customers” might be - but that costs money and doesn’t seem worth it.

Good luck, and hope it’s something innocent.

"Googling" the number comes up with a blank.

It could be MBS, but then it could be a credit card company, though the seeming anonymity of the number raises alarm bells.

Any ideas, anyone? That number again is 0871 244 1873.

[CARRENA]

Hi there,
On the actual invoice that pops up it leaves a telephone number which I am pretty positive matches the one that you are asking about. How they got your number I do not know though. I rang them as my boss had this problem on his home computer after a pop up came up when his kids were online and on trying to get the thing off it downloaded and he has been trying to remove it ever since. Anyways a system restore got rid of the program but not the invoice so we rang them and a really pathetic argument entailed about the fact that the website was accessed a few times afterwards- conveniently straight after the download- whilst trying to remove the program which you have to do by accessing the website. So anyways they reckoned what they were doing was legal so I contacted trading standards who have been in touch with Leeds trading stanards and we are just waiting for a response now. But trading standards did say that it would be very hard for them to pursue you for the £39.99 charges if they have no name, address or contact number! Whic is very true, all that they have is the server ip address that was used to access the internet. So good luck to MBS getting the money cos they ain't going to.

Will post more once trading standards gets back to us.

[Andy M]

That's interesting, Carrena.

The number doesn't match that given for customer services (link goes to another forum post) but they could well have a separate set of numbers for incoming and outgoing for claims "in progress".

If it is them, then it's a touch worrying how they got hold of his phone number.

I did ask for the format of the reference number, but haven't got it, so can't tell whether it matches a standard format for their reference / bill numbers.

As I said, there's no identification when you call that number, which makes me suspicious. Why would companies not identify themselves up front? No major organisation refuses to tell you who they are when you phone them. If nothing else it proves you have the correct number - this outfit were expecting you just to start tapping in your credit card number to make a payment!

[ijawkuk]

I am in the process of putting together a file of evidence - after MBS infected all the systems on my LAN after my 15yr old son had been surfing - altho its not at all clear whether he went onto any form of porn site since our Internet Security (Parental Controls) tend to block most of the dratted stuff.   That file will be submitted to the local High Tech Crime Unit - since the only response from the numpties at MBS is that "due to training we won't respond for five days".  Once I've got a forensic image of my hard drives I'll remove the dratted infection!

However, I did some preliminary trawling with one of the tools I use to find people!   Elsewhere on this forum are details of Webb and his consorts in 'crime'.   The 0871 numbers given in the forum are not traceable (I can usually trace 0870, 0871 and other forms of Nongeographic number to their real landline number!).  However, a trawl of the Tuccows registration system reveals another number - an 0113 (that's Leeds BTW) number.

Here is the printout from Tuccows -
inetnum:         212.188.134.16 - 212.188.134.31
netname:         UNIQUE-BUSINESS-SYSTEMS
descr:           Routed Connection
country:         GB
admin-c:         MAR482-RIPE
tech-c:          CH309-RIPE
rev-srv:         ns0.clara.net
rev-srv:         ns1.clara.net
status:          ASSIGNED PA
mnt-by:          AS8426-MNT
source:          RIPE # Filtered
role:            Claranet Hostmaster
address:         Claranet Ltd
address:         21 Southampton Row
address:         London WC1B 5HA
address:         United Kingdom
phone:           +44 (0) 20 7685 8000
fax-no:          +44 (0) 20 7685 8001
remarks:         trouble:      ---------------------------------------------------
remarks:         trouble:      Please do NOT send abuse complaints to the contacts
remarks:         trouble:      listed here. Please email them to abuse@clara.net
remarks:         trouble:      or use http://www.abuse.net/lookup.phtml
remarks:         trouble:      ---------------------------------------------------
admin-c:         NSUK2-RIPE
tech-c:          NSUK1-RIPE
nic-hdl:         CH309-RIPE
mnt-by:          AS8426-MNT
source:          RIPE # Filtered
abuse-mailbox:   abuse@clara.net

Platte Media's lawyers have threatened legal action if details publicly available via any Whois lookup were not removed from the forum. Allegedly it's very easy to see such details, but we're not at liberty to tell you how.

person:          ------------
address:         -----------------------------------------------
phone:           ----------------
nic-hdl:         MAR482-RIPE
source:          RIPE # Filtered
% Information related to '212.188.128.0/17AS8426'
route:           212.188.128.0/17
descr:           Claranet UK
origin:          AS8426
mnt-by:          AS8426-MNT
source:          RIPE # Filtered

This was sourced from an IP number attached to an email received back from MBS (waste of  space) Customer Services today

 Some may not entirely understand this information - I give it because its publicly available - therefore doesn't contravene any Data Protection (altho Data Protection protects personal information and this information refers to a Business so Data Protection Act 1998 DOES NOT APPLY!).    What this information says is that Webb's enterprise (MBS) is using clara.net as an ISP and that he has 16 routed IP addresses.  It also tells us to report "abuse" to abuse@clara.net - a London based outfit whose phone number is +44 (0) 20 7685 8000.  It also tells us that the technical contact for this range of IP addresses is as follows

Platte Media's lawyers have threatened legal action if details publicly available via any Whois lookup were not removed from the forum. Allegedly it's very easy to see such details, but we're not at liberty to tell you how.

person:          ----------------
address:         ------------------------------------------
phone:           --------------------

Sound familiar?

If you've been affected by this outfit apparently selling porn to your under age son/daughter/relation - then report it to your local Police station and ask them to refer it directly to their High Tech Crime Unit (since ordinary PC's don't have the tools to investigate high tech crime - only the HTCU's do!).     Feel free to give them the above info - hope it helps.

regards
Ian

[mini ha ha]

putting  the phone number in my my phone  getting ready when i rang them they knew my postcode and address   had many sleepless nights over this