Hi,
The message was waiting for me on my answerphone when I got in this evening. The beginning of it wasn't cut off so it must have waited for my answerphone greeting to finish before starting - clever.
I think what raised my suspicions were the words "this is a genuine offer". Offer? A competition win is not an offer!
Anyway, I've recorded the message if anyone wants it for their investigations. You'll find it at http://www.13draytonroad.com/cruise.mp3 .
Thanks also to the people giving the icstis website - we've entered our complaint against our (probably) unique dodgy number
I had two messages on my answerphone at about 5pm and 6pm this evening. Both were identical and sound like the recording linked to in the earlier post. Different phone number though (090 6125 3192) and the "smallprint" at the end was missing.
luci
Mr Simmons doesn't sound reputable. He also doesn't sound as if he has any connection to Cruise Connections.
I have emailed Cruise Connections and made them aware of these calls and this forum.
luci
What a busy little man he has been this Friday - I have just got in and found a message left on my answerphone to say that I too have won a cruise to Spain. That ship is going to be very full if we all go!!!!! Went straight to Google as I knew it was a scam - we never enter competitions - and found this site. Thanks for confirming that this is one big hoax - an expensive one if you phone!
http://www.cruiseconnections.com and, wondering if this company was related to the answerphone messages, e-mailed them. Apparently, they are based in the US and they've already "had a ton" of queries asking the same question! They are not connected to J Simmons who seems to pronounce the company name as "Cruise Connection" (not connections)
I found
My mum and dad also had this message left on their answerphone. Trouble is so many people are going to be conned by this!!!!!! It is just outrageous!!!!! Dad erased it straight away. Like I told him if it was important they will ring back!!!!! I am a member of a website called cruise connections, but it is associated with P & O cruises, so this is quite unfortunate as a lot of people will be thinking there is a connection (pardon the pun ) Mum also reckons she had heard about this on a consumer programme where we live. Let's hope as many people get to hear about this scam as possible.
Had exactly the same message as Jake (apart from different phone number) and again no mention of £1.50 call charge.
Rather worryingly I am also registered with TPS. This just seems like far too much of a coincidence that so many of us here are registered with TPS. What on earth is going on???
If anyone finds out anything from TPS please post the info to this board.
On receiving my answerphone message, asking me to ring 0906123065, my first thought was not of the cruise, but what I'd be charged for an 0906 number! And I found this message board. Thanks everyone for outing this scam.
Yes we had a call (left on the answering machine) this afternoon. No mention of the cost of the phone calls though, but we recognised it as a premium rate number, headed for the web, and found you.
Never, Never enter competitions anyway, but do like to cruise so wondered if they had got our details from one of the cruise lines, but you seem to have confirmed it's a scam - and yes we are on TPS too, so will be reporting it.
Could have been my lucky day if I'd fallen for these scams because a message on my mobile today told me that I had won £20.000 GUARANTEED. Just think of the spending money I could have had on my cruise round Spain if I hadn't deleted that one too!!
There is also a UK company called Cruise Connections who have the following posted on their website:
PLEASE NOTE if you have been contacted by phone to say you have won a cruise and asked to contact Jonathan Simmons using an 0906 number, this is nothing to do with our company.
So they are aware of it.
luci
ICSTIS did not have the premium rate number on its database, so I have filed a complaint. Will also contact Trading Standards, and the TPS
Itoo got a message from John of 'cruise connections' with a too good to be true offer.Thanks to everyone for the warning>
Well, looks like this forum has saved me £12 ... Mr Simmons left me a message at 6.54 suggesting I ring 0906 125 3096. No mention of call rates. And there was I, for a nanosecond, thinking Spain! hm, Cruise! er hm, lovely". Not that I entered a cruise competition - but that didn't stop a fleeting fantasy!
However, complaints to ICTSIS and TPS aside, what now? How do we find out the fate of "Mr Simmons" and given that the first posts were made a week ago, why did "he" not get shut down before now.
JT
Yes, Jonathan Simmons has been a busy bee! After his recorded message on my answerphone cut off, another 'voice' announced the cost of the premium rate calls.
I am mystified why I was 'picked' and, like many others, my name wasn't announced. Also, like so many others, I am with TPS.
Oh, and Mr Simmons has a whole raft of numbers. The one left for me was: 090 6125 3087.
Thank you all again. Great to find such useful forums.
To Mr Simmons
To you all
Edit to activate emoticon. luci - HT Mod
For each person who has posted, there are probably 10 who are just browsing as guests. Please feel free to register on the site and submit a post. Only by posting will we get an idea of the real extent of these calls.
For those who have contacted ICSTIS and the TPS, please keep us advised of your progress as it will be interesting to hear what they have to say.
luci
I told my husband when he got in and being VERY sceptical told me to 'google it' which I did. Luckily I found this site.
We appear to have had exactly the same message as two previous postees (apart from a different phone number), again no mention of £1.50 call charge although the 090 number itself is indicative of that, and we are also registered with TPS!!
I got a phone call in the middle of Corrie (how dare they) It started ' Hi there (no name) you have won a cruise round the Bay of Biscay!!!'As soon as the number started 090 I realised I had read about this last week, I think in the Daily or Sunday Mail, and I put the phone down. I did 1471 and ' we do not have the callers number'. That means they are calling from outside the UK. If in UK the message is 'Caller witheld their number'. I am also registered with TPS but can't remember their e-mail to complain.
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