SMS from 27777 - is it a scam..?

Received the following at around 0100 this morning from shortcode 27777
(actually shown as +27777 in the message):

"Welcome to the VM Fixed Line SMS Service. Please reply to this message
with the name you would like to use when sending a text message to a home
or work phone."

The phone I received it on is on Virgin (is the "VM" in the message
supposed to make me think Virgin sent it..?) but whoever it was from I
have not subscribed to any such service via SMS, website, phone call or
any other means.

I can't check my balance on the Virgin site as they're "upgrading" it and
as I haven't used the phone for an outgoing call for some weeks I can't
remember my last credit balance offhand so no idea how much if anything
it's cost me.

Anyone have any info on this one..?


Ivor

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› See More: SMS from 27777 - is it a scam..?

"Ivor Jones" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Received the following at around 0100 this morning from shortcode 27777
> (actually shown as +27777 in the message):
>
> "Welcome to the VM Fixed Line SMS Service. Please reply to this message
> with the name you would like to use when sending a text message to a home
> or work phone."
>
> The phone I received it on is on Virgin (is the "VM" in the message
> supposed to make me think Virgin sent it..?) but whoever it was from I
> have not subscribed to any such service via SMS, website, phone call or
> any other means.
>
> I can't check my balance on the Virgin site as they're "upgrading" it and
> as I haven't used the phone for an outgoing call for some weeks I can't
> remember my last credit balance offhand so no idea how much if anything
> it's cost me.
>
> Anyone have any info on this one..?
>
>
Google threw up this from October last year if it's any help...
http://www.freenfo.net/mobile/archiv...x-t-71877.html

--
Cheers, Steve.
Change from jealous to sad to reply.

"Steve Dulieu" <[email protected]> wrote in
message
news:[email protected]
> "Ivor Jones" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > Received the following at around 0100 this morning from
> > shortcode 27777 (actually shown as +27777 in the
> > message): "Welcome to the VM Fixed Line SMS Service. Please reply
> > to this message with the name you would like to use
> > when sending a text message to a home or work phone."

[snip]

> Google threw up this from October last year if it's any
> help...
> http://www.freenfo.net/mobile/archiv...x-t-71877.html

Thanks, I couldn't see there though what if anything this message was
charged at though, so still not sure. Have emailed Virgin so waiting now
for their reply.

Ivor

Thus spaketh Ivor Jones:
> Received the following at around 0100 this morning from shortcode
> 27777 (actually shown as +27777 in the message):
>
> "Welcome to the VM Fixed Line SMS Service. Please reply to this
> message with the name you would like to use when sending a text
> message to a home or work phone."
>
> The phone I received it on is on Virgin (is the "VM" in the message
> supposed to make me think Virgin sent it..?) but whoever it was from I
> have not subscribed to any such service via SMS, website, phone call
> or any other means.
>
> I can't check my balance on the Virgin site as they're "upgrading" it
> and as I haven't used the phone for an outgoing call for some weeks I
> can't remember my last credit balance offhand so no idea how much if
> anything it's cost me.
>
> Anyone have any info on this one..?
>
>
> Ivor

This is a text you usually receive when you first send a text message to
a landline phone from your Virgin Mobile.

Normally when the person receives your text message on a landline
without SMS phone, your mobile phone number is read out as the person
sending the message, Virgin Mobile allows you to instead send a name of
your choice in place of the number being read out.

For example without doing anything the person you send a message to will
hear something like "We have a text message for you from 079nn nnn nnn,
etc etc.

Texting VM back on 27777 (without the + as it fails otherwiese) with
your name or nickname etc for example "Welcome" will alter the message
to something like "We have a text message for you from
Welcome.........".


--
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PAYG Mobile Offers: www.southeastbirmingham.co.uk/payg
Items for sale: www.dodgy-dealer.co.uk

Thus spaketh {{{{{Welcome}}}}}:
> Thus spaketh Ivor Jones:
>> Received the following at around 0100 this morning from shortcode
>> 27777 (actually shown as +27777 in the message):
>>
>> "Welcome to the VM Fixed Line SMS Service. Please reply to this
>> message with the name you would like to use when sending a text
>> message to a home or work phone."
>>
>> The phone I received it on is on Virgin (is the "VM" in the message
>> supposed to make me think Virgin sent it..?) but whoever it was from
>> I have not subscribed to any such service via SMS, website, phone
>> call or any other means.
>>
>> I can't check my balance on the Virgin site as they're "upgrading" it
>> and as I haven't used the phone for an outgoing call for some weeks I
>> can't remember my last credit balance offhand so no idea how much if
>> anything it's cost me.
>>
>> Anyone have any info on this one..?
>>
>>
>> Ivor
>
> This is a text you usually receive when you first send a text message
> to a landline phone from your Virgin Mobile.
>
> Normally when the person receives your text message on a landline
> without SMS phone, your mobile phone number is read out as the person
> sending the message, Virgin Mobile allows you to instead send a name
> of your choice in place of the number being read out.
>
> For example without doing anything the person you send a message to
> will hear something like "We have a text message for you from 079nn
> nnn nnn, etc etc.
>
> Texting VM back on 27777 (without the + as it fails otherwiese) with
> your name or nickname etc for example "Welcome" will alter the message
> to something like "We have a text message for you from
> Welcome.........".

http://www.virginmobile.com/mobile/d...s/landline.pdf

"{{{{{Welcome}}}}}" <bhx___spam@trapped___hotmail.co.uk>
wrote in message
news:[email protected]

[snip]

> This is a text you usually receive when you first send a
> text message to a landline phone from your Virgin Mobile.

I've never sent a text message from that phone to anyone, ever. I haven't
made any outgoing calls on it for three weeks either.

Can you confirm that the shortcode belongs to Virgin and that it isn't a
scam..? Should I be charged for it..?

Ivor

Thus spaketh Ivor Jones:
> "{{{{{Welcome}}}}}" <bhx___spam@trapped___hotmail.co.uk>
> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]
>
> [snip]
>
>> This is a text you usually receive when you first send a
>> text message to a landline phone from your Virgin Mobile.
>
> I've never sent a text message from that phone to anyone, ever. I
> haven't made any outgoing calls on it for three weeks either.
>
> Can you confirm that the shortcode belongs to Virgin and that it
> isn't a scam..? Should I be charged for it..?
>
> Ivor


The short code does indeed belong to Virgin and is for setting up the
name to be used on the voice SMS service instead of your number. It
costs nothing to receive texts from 27777, it cost 10p to send a text to
27777 when you set up your name with the service.

http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/...87409&t=205811
has a brief mention of 27777.


--
DVD rental: www.southeastbirmingham.co.uk/dvd
PAYG Mobile Offers: www.southeastbirmingham.co.uk/payg
Items for sale: www.dodgy-dealer.co.uk

"{{{{{Welcome}}}}}" <bhx___spam@trapped___hotmail.co.uk>
wrote in message
news:[email protected]
> Thus spaketh Ivor Jones:

[snip]

> > Can you confirm that the shortcode belongs to Virgin
> > and that it isn't a scam..? Should I be charged for
> > it..?
>
> The short code does indeed belong to Virgin and is for
> setting up the name to be used on the voice SMS service
> instead of your number. It costs nothing to receive
> texts from 27777, it cost 10p to send a text to 27777
> when you set up your name with the service.
> http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/...87409&t=205811
> has a brief mention of 27777.

Thanks for that. So why did I get the message when I've never used SMS of
any sort on that phone..? I have emailed Virgin but so far have not
received a reply. I'll let you know what they say, if anything.

Ivor

"Ivor Jones" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]

[snip]

The mystery is solved, at least I think it is..! I checked the last call
made by calling 789, it told me I'd sent a text message to a landline
number (Which just happens to be the 1st one in my phone memory) at a time
when I know the phone was in my pocket.

So what I think must have happened is I'd forgotten to lock the keypad and
the phone got jostled and sent an empty message all by itself..!

Oh well it looks as though it only cost me 10p and the person who got the
message doesn't know me anyway (it's a shop I sometimes deal with) so no
major problems.

Ivor