Mobile Phone scam

[melpen]

Be aware, people are recieving e-mails or letters via post, suggesting that the emergency survices could benifit, if everybody could put on their mobile phone an emergency contact number in the address book listed under ICE (IN CASE of EMERGENCY).

 

DONT!!!!!!!

 

ITS A HOAX !

 

 

Be very careful with this one - although the intention is great, it is

unfortunately phase one of a phone based virus that is laying a path for

propagating very quickly.

 

Passing it on is part of the virus interestingly, such is the deviousness of the people who write these things.

 

We have already seen the "second phase" where a program is sent as part of a ring-tone download that goes into your address book and looks for something it recognises - you've guessed it, an address book entry Marked:

"ICE or "I.C.E." or whatever. It then sends itself to the "ICE list" charging you for the privilege.

Please Delete.

[melpen]

Sod it why didn`t i use the speelll checker

[DavyR]

Oh dear, why don't people check before issuing warnings that are in themselves hoaxes?

 

http://www.europe.f-secure.com/hoaxes/icehoax.shtml

 

Putting "ICE" in your phone is perfectly safe, and a good ide.

[DavyR]

That should have read "a good idea" and does not make reference to the fish

[Elton]

Yep - the hoax is the people telling you not to do it, as has been reported umpteen times on the news.

[Dales]

On a simalar vain, I received an email from the Security Department at the Hospital I work for warning that emails etc are going around telling people that they can contact emergency services via a satellite signal from their mobiles while on the underground by dialling 112.

 

This is just more false information, as mobiles do not work in the London Underground, and satellite signals cannot reach either.

 

The 112 number does link people through to 999 Services, but it only works if you can get a standard signal on your mobile, which you will not be able to do on the underground. There is no magic satellite link to help reach the emergency services.

 

Most of this sort of information is proberbly passed on by well intentioned people, but you always wonder is some one getting a so-called laugh by spreading such utter nonsense.

[melpen]

Oh heck, just recieved the warning from my head of communications, You would have thought that a £multi-million company, who has hundreds of mobile phones in use, would have checked the info.

 

I will now have great delight in sending him the link.

[DavyR]

A reasonably accurate way of spotting many hoaxes is that they tend to contain:

 

1. Pore speling

2. A lot of words in BLOCK CAPITALS

3. Excessive use of exclamation marks!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dales]

On the "ICE" topic, I have now received an email from our Security saying that the ICE campaign was started by East Anglican Ambulance Service in association with Vodaphone, and that the Hospital I work for are encouraging people to do this.

 

So as an NHS Trust is encouraging it's staff to log ICE numbers in there phones. It must be a legitimate campaign ! Be very poor if the NHS were helping to spread a hoax message

[argyll]

'I will now have great delight in sending him the link'

 

You may also wish to point out the difference between genius and stupidity.