Strange Lamenated Sheet Appeared In My Cache.

[Tc & Fezzi]

I did a spot check on one of my caches at the weekend and found someone had added a Geocache lamenated explanation, you know, the usual explanation for any muggles that stumble upon it.

My printed sheet was still in the container but this new one had someone`s phone number along with the price of calls printed on it. I believe it to be someone who is monitoring caches and taking responsibility for them but I know not who?

Anyone any idea?

 

Thanks ,

Tc

[+nfa]

Hi,

 

I would remove it.

 

nfa

[+Midway Cafe]

Interesting, perhaps it is some sort of prank or gag.

 

Cacher 1 places these with the hope that people will start to call unsuspecting Cacher 2 who's phone number is listed.

 

Or a con.

 

Anyone who calls the number is routed to Angola and sent a huge bill.

 

Did you call the number and inquire?

 

MC

[+stu_and_sarah]

Is it the GAGB phone number?

 

Sarah

--

[+Pharisee]

Without knowing which cache you're talking about, it may have been one that I put there. I usually carry a few laminated A5 & A6 stash notes (usually printed on blue or yellow paper to make them a bit more 'visible') and I'll leave one in a cache there isn't one there or the original has got a bit tatty. The phone number is the number made available to us by the GAGB (see HERE) and the pricing information is there because I believe its a legal requirement if the number is a 'premium' number.

Please accept my apologies if I've stepped 'out of line', there was nothing subversive intended.

[Mittellegi]

7 Febraury 2004

[+DomHeknows]

i;m not sure how this phone system works as the contact email information with GC.Com doesn't allow you to send an attachment that I can see. That is a good idea of providing contact information to interested parties without giving out your real email address/phone number/fax etc. (although I use yahoo.co.uk to forward email to my real address)

[+Volvo Man]

I would say that somebody listens to left messages and send an email to the relevant cache owner, passing on any information from the call.

 

No need for attachments, it's probably just typed

[+The Wombles]

I've been the receipient of all messages to the GAGB phone number to date, although BillH has just volunteered to take his turn.

 

The GAGB phone number goes to a voicemail system which records the message in a .wav file, which is then mailed to me. I've then usually forwarded on the the relevant person unless it requires an immediate response in which case I've rung people back.

 

To date I've had the grand total of 5 messages since we launched the service in November last year. No doubt this will increase as the number is more widely used on caches.

[+Renegade Knight]

The phone systems is a good solution to a problem of communications. GAGB has stepped up to the plate to keep geocaching viable. You can expect more national groups to institute other similar soltuions. Listing sites just won't be able to handle things like this as geocaching grows.

[+Bill D (wwh)]

As Dave of the Wombles has said, the GAGB number goes to a voicemail service, and the message is then emailed as a .wav file. I've just taken over the job of receiving and dealing with messages.

 

Any UK cacher who wants to include a contact phone number in their caches, but doesn't want to give out their own number, is welcome to use this GAGB service. You don't need to be a member of GAGB. Please note, though, that as Pharisee said it's a legal requirement to state the call charges if you include the number. You can find the details here.

 

If you use the number and a message is left for you, we'll email a copy of the .wav file to you. If you can't open .wav files we'll phone you with the content of the message.

[MCL]

It strikes me that, beacuse Tc and Fezzi did not know exactly what the sheet and phone number were, that maybe the sheet is not self-explicit enough as to what it means?

 

Just a thought. If a geocacher can't understand it, then will a muggle be any the wiser if they stumble across one?

 

Furthermore, Midway Cafe, is it likely to be any kind of prank, if the cost of the phone calls is explicitly pointed out to the reader? If anyone was setting up someone to rake money in by getting people to call, then they would hardly advertise the cost of the phone call would they?

 

Edited May 26, 2004 by MCL

[+Midway Cafe]

It strikes me that, beacuse Tc and Fezzi did not know exactly what the sheet and phone number were, that maybe the sheet is not self-explicit enough as to what it means?

 

Just a thought.  If a geocacher can't understand it, then will a muggle be any the wiser if they stumble across one?

 

Furthermore, Midway Cafe, is it likely to be any kind of prank, if the cost of the phone calls is explicitly pointed out to the reader? If anyone was setting up someone to rake money in by getting people to call, then they would hardly advertise the cost of the phone call would they?

 

Hey MCL,

 

Good point about the sheet not being explicit enough to understand when found by a cacher let alone a muggle. Given the limited information on the sheet and what was posted here, what would your guess have been?

 

Here in the US it is a common scam to lure people into calling a number, be it a local or a limited toll call, and then routing the call to an offshore number for an incredibly high per minute cost. The phone company will quite often push people to pay the bill as they did place the call. Be wary and keep your guard up. Those who don't learn from others mistakes may be next in line to repeat them.

 

MC

[+The Wombles]

Here in the US it is a common scam to lure people into calling a number, be it a local or a limited toll call, and then routing the call to an offshore number for an incredibly high per minute cost. The phone company will quite often push people to pay the bill as they did place the call.

 

Phone charges in the UK are based on the dialled number and any re-routing is at the cost of the service provider.

 

Sounds like the US needs more regulation

[+kbootb]

 

Phone charges in the UK are based on the dialled number and any re-routing is at the cost of the service provider.

 

Sounds like the US needs more regulation 

There is a fairly common scam in the UK.

 

Guy sets up premium rate phone line. Knocks on victims door (or stops them in street and uses victims mobile), and spins a sob story about car breaking down etc and just needs to phone wife/friend etc. You let them dial and they talk on phone for 5 mins at £50 per min and then thanks you and leaves.

 

This is actually 'legal' in the respect that anyone can set up a premium rate phone line. The victim owner of the phone has given permission for the stranger to use the phone.

 

Moral, offer to dial the number yourself, anything other than a standard phone number dial 999 instead.

 

In my area they use a sobbing young child that has 'had his bike stolen'.

[+MarkGPX]

There is a fairly common scam in the UK.

This is an urban legend.

 

The dearest premium line rate is £1.50/min.

 

ICSTIS (Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services) have issued a statement about this sort of scaremongering;

 

ICSTIS statement

 

MarkGPX

[+kbootb]

This is an urban legend.

 

The dearest premium line rate is £1.50/min.

 

ICSTIS (Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services) have issued a statement about this sort of scaremongering;

 

My apologies, just quoting the alert we recieved from the local police/council crime alert thingy.

 

Also, still trying to find a reasonable explanation for my daughter's £200 phone bill last month. So the theory that she was conned goes out the window...

[+Volvo Man]

I'm not so sure about the accuracy of ICTIS's statement. Indeed, the highest rate UK premium rate number is 1.50/min, but there are higher rates, such as overseas calls. As far as I am aware, it is possible to direct dial premium rate services in other countries too, and there are definitely higher per minute rates elsewhere in the world.

 

I don't know if they are still doing it, but there was a spate of premium rate numbers with much higher rates than 1.50 which had international numbers to Guam or something. Not quite sure how it worked as the calls didn't get routed outside the country.

[+Haggis Hunter]

still trying to find a reasonable explanation for my daughter's £200 phone bill last month. So the theory that she was conned goes out the window...

Try looking at the phone bill, If it's a pay & go just limit her to so much a month if she wants more, then she has to pay it.

[+Chris&MaryB]

 

Also, still trying to find a reasonable explanation for my daughter's £200 phone bill last month. So the theory that she was conned goes out the window...

If it's a landline, does she have a PC connected to it?

 

Could be a 'porn dialler'

[+paul.blitz]

Also, still trying to find a reasonable explanation for my daughter's £200 phone bill last month.

ah, phone bills and children.... its not worth the effort of understanding the whys and wherefores, coz you never will!!

 

Just give her a good telling off, it's a LOT easier on the brain.

 

(and the bill was probably caused by all those 2 hour calls to friends... but what you never realised was that her friends were using a MOBILE!)

 

Paul