Hacking into virgin boxes

sue-key · 19-03-2011, 15:06

Hi,after reading that people have challenged Virgin Media about the calls on their bills which seem to steadily go up and that they think they did not make and, Virgin not adressing the problem i thought i would mention this.
I have been told that in parts of Leeds the Virgin boxes have been hacked into by virgin staff and that they call premium rate numbers and add them to peoples bills!! I do not know if this is true nor can i prove it alone for that more people would have to check their bills ????
My bill went up and so i rang virgin and mentioned the above and asked for my bill to be looked at before i paid it.
The woman on the line did not even log what i had said-WHY?-you would think Virgin would want to look into something like that!!I found she had not logged what i had said when i recieved a bill with an added £ 10 late bill fee and i rang up and said my bill was being itemised....the new adviser said there was no record of my complaint and that if i had asked for my phone bill to be looked at she would have told me it was £99 to do this?
I have been told to send an email in to head office so they can listen to me asking for my bill to be looked at and where i mentioned to them re/hacking of there boxes .... but i could not find the **email and the virgin site went round in circles!!!
Also when i rang a couple of mobile numbers from my line a voice came on and asked me to redial the numbers-my friend heard this and sad the caller could be anywhere in the world!
Virgin are cutting off my service on sunday.
check your virgin bills out there.

**Chris** · 19-03-2011, 15:23

A Virgin TV box cannot make phone calls because it is not connected to your phone line. Sky boxes have a phone connection, Virgin boxes do not. It's as simple as that.

So no, what your mate told you is not true. It's not technically possible.

nodrogd · 19-03-2011, 16:51

Think the OP is referring to the distibution cabs, though I can't think why Virgin staff would do this. Criminals hijacking lines in unsecured cabs perhaps?

sue-key · 19-03-2011, 17:12

The virgin engineers can connect to lines while out on calls!!!! from thebox-it was a bt engeineer who found out about the scam.

as for the voice on my phone line that interrupted two calls and asked me to redial a number-the voice both times was a cockney-home counties type not bow bells.

---------- Post added at 17:12 ---------- Previous post was at 17:08 ----------

You did not understand -i mean the green virgin box outside -not an appliance inside a house !!!!
I think the boxes are different colours in different parts of the country.

Sirius · 19-03-2011, 17:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by sue-key

The virgin engineers can connect to lines while out on calls!!!! from thebox-it was a bt engeineer who found out about the scam.

no vested interest there then.

sue-key · 19-03-2011, 17:23

Why wouldn't virgin engineers hack so they can do premium rate calls?
They might if they thought they had a fool proof way of doing it?
I t did happen-look now nobody believes that it has and maybe it will only be brought to light when more people question their bills.
Why did virgin not log my call when i rang in about it??
she said to me-how do you know it was not the bt engineer-well it has never been reported that bt has done anything like this-and also while with bt a voice never interrupted my calls asking me to redial mobile numbers!
you would think a member of staff would say to me--"oh i will send that information off to the department concerned"-not -ignore that information and another customer adviser a week and a half later tell me she has not logged that i even rang in!

Digital Fanatic · 19-03-2011, 18:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by sue-key

Why wouldn't virgin engineers hack so they can do premium rate calls?
They might if they thought they had a fool proof way of doing it?
I t did happen-look now nobody believes that it has and maybe it will only be brought to light when more people question their bills.
Why did virgin not log my call when i rang in about it??
she said to me-how do you know it was not the bt engineer-well it has never been reported that bt has done anything like this-and also while with bt a voice never interrupted my calls asking me to redial mobile numbers!
you would think a member of staff would say to me--"oh i will send that information off to the department concerned"-not -ignore that information and another customer adviser a week and a half later tell me she has not logged that i even rang in!

did Customer Care do a Toll Enquiry on your line?

---------- Post added at 18:08 ---------- Previous post was at 18:05 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by sue-key

Why wouldn't virgin engineers hack so they can do premium rate calls?
They might if they thought they had a fool proof way of doing it?
I t did happen-look now nobody believes that it has and maybe it will only be brought to light when more people question their bills.
Why did virgin not log my call when i rang in about it??
she said to me-how do you know it was not the bt engineer-well it has never been reported that bt has done anything like this-and also while with bt a voice never interrupted my calls asking me to redial mobile numbers!you would think a member of staff would say to me--"oh i will send that information off to the department concerned"-not -ignore that information and another customer adviser a week and a half later tell me she has not logged that i even rang in!

What are you talking about?

I think you needed to speak to faults, as the only thing I can think of is you have a crossed line? Do you use any calling cards or routers on your line?

BenMcr · 19-03-2011, 19:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by sue-key

Why wouldn't virgin engineers hack so they can do premium rate calls?!

Why would they want to?

Personally I could think of nothing worse of having to sit at roadside cabinet to make a phone call

They wouldn't get any financial benefit out of it

v0id · 19-03-2011, 20:25

Ahhh this subject rears its head again
http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/34...l-calls-i.html

**Paul M** · 19-03-2011, 21:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by sue-key

The virgin engineers can connect to lines while out on calls!!!! from thebox-it was a bt engeineer who found out about the scam.

What scam exactly would that be ? How does an engineer profit from this ?

Do Virgin Cabs have a service line in them ? BT Cabs had one that engineers can use to make calls from (at least they did when I was an engineer).

Foo Fighter · 19-03-2011, 23:02

Any one can connect a phone to a line in a green cab its not some massive scam you seem think your uncovering were evil virgin engineers sneak out and dial premium rates for ***** and giggles

sue-key · 20-03-2011, 00:28

Well if they were ringing premium rate numbers maybe they would not mind making the calls !!! they have maybe found a way to re route the calls- maybe they can make the calls from the vans after they have been out to check a persons line/or broadband? how many people who use virgin are getting unexplained-bigger bills-that is what needs to be adressed-no i do not have a party type line- if someone was asking me to redial mobile numbers this is a seperate issue-but virgins problem!
Until you know for sure this is not being done -why diss it-
this is what phone companies want-nobody to question what is happening-
how do you know they did not hush up what happened in Leeds?
Why did the customer service woman not report what i said and test my line via faults after the guy came on asking me to repeat the numbers?
What kind of service is virgin if i have to send an email to head office so they can listen to the recorded call i made to the woman who i spoke too,to prove i asked her to check my calls made etc ???
Thanks for the link here to show this sort of thing is going on.

---------- Post added at 00:28 ---------- Previous post was at 00:15 ----------

Re above- the engineers or whoever get to ring premium rate lines and they get charged to peoples bills--- let me think -er how would a person profit from ringing one of those premiun rate calls----oh yes it came to me !!

Seeing as the guy who actually spoke on my line sounded like he was from London maybe Virgin needs to look into all aspects of what the heck is going on with there services?
I was told about the hackings after i mentioned my crossed line-
The B T engineers use the boxes too according to virgin-yes the bt guy found out what was going on in the Leeds area- they must have done checks to see who was doing it! I think Virgin may have found out and nipped it in the bud?? and want to keep it that way?
It's strange how they did not log what i said on their system so now want to hear the recording ?

Peter_ · 20-03-2011, 07:47

The is no scam just a bitter sounding BT engineer.

Any engineer caught doing this would lose his job and face criminal prosecution for doing so.

Digital Fanatic · 20-03-2011, 10:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by sue-key

Well if they were ringing premium rate numbers maybe they would not mind making the calls !!! they have maybe found a way to re route the calls- maybe they can make the calls from the vans after they have been out to check a persons line/or broadband? how many people who use virgin are getting unexplained-bigger bills-that is what needs to be adressed-no i do not have a party type line- if someone was asking me to redial mobile numbers this is a seperate issue-but virgins problem!
Until you know for sure this is not being done -why diss it-
this is what phone companies want-nobody to question what is happening-
how do you know they did not hush up what happened in Leeds?
Why did the customer service woman not report what i said and test my line via faults after the guy came on asking me to repeat the numbers?
What kind of service is virgin if i have to send an email to head office so they can listen to the recorded call i made to the woman who i spoke too,to prove i asked her to check my calls made etc ???
Thanks for the link here to show this sort of thing is going on.

---------- Post added at 00:28 ---------- Previous post was at 00:15 ----------

Re above- the engineers or whoever get to ring premium rate lines and they get charged to peoples bills--- let me think -er how would a person profit from ringing one of those premiun rate calls----oh yes it came to me !!

Seeing as the guy who actually spoke on my line sounded like he was from London maybe Virgin needs to look into all aspects of what the heck is going on with there services?
I was told about the hackings after i mentioned my crossed line-
The B T engineers use the boxes too according to virgin-yes the bt guy found out what was going on in the Leeds area- they must have done checks to see who was doing it! I think Virgin may have found out and nipped it in the bud?? and want to keep it that way?
It's strange how they did not log what i said on their system so now want to hear the recording ?

the BT engineer is talking through his bum, plus you haven't answered any of my questions?

Sirius · 20-03-2011, 10:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digital Fanatic

the BT engineer is talking through his bum, plus you haven't answered any of my questions?

why answer questions that might disprove there rant.