Canadian Telco blocks direct calls to Guyana
Stabroek News
July 2, 2004
(Bloomberg) - Telus Corp. and BCE Inc., Canada's biggest telephone companies, will start blocking direct-dialed calls to some countries to combat ``modem hijacking'' scams.
Telus will block calls to Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Nauru and Sao Tome beginning July 1, the Vancouver-based company said in a release. BCE's Bell Canada phone unit will start blocking calls to Guinea-Bissau, Nauru, Sao Tome, Cook Islands, Tuvalu, and Tokelau Islands on Aug. 1, said Candice Best, a Bell Canada spokeswoman.
Modem hijacking can affect Internet users with a dial-up connection who unknowingly download programmes from certain Web sites or pop-up windows, according to Telus. The customer's modem is then directed to make international calls, resulting in long-distance charges.
``We try to be as flexible as possible,'' said Charlie Fleet, a Telus spokesman, adding the company deals with complaints on a case-by-case basis. ``Generally customers are responsible for toll charges.''
Bell Canada also evaluates complaints on a case-by-case basis, according to Best. She said the company also contacts clients if there are ``suspicious'' data-calling patterns.
Telus has received about 300 complaints from customers in the last three months who received phone bills with unexpected long-distance charges linked to modem hijacking, Fleet said.
Bills ranged from C$100 ($74) to as much as C$3,000, according to Fleet. Best couldn't give the number of complaints that Bell Canada has received.
Telus and BCE must compensate the long-distance companies that carry these calls.
Telus said the scam calls ``most commonly originate'' in the four countries. Customers can contact a Telus operator to make calls to these countries at the same price as direct-dialed calls, according to the company.