BT measures to prevent internet dialler problems

BT has announced two new initiatives aimed at tackling internet dialler problems and helping customers protect themselves.

The new products are designed to alert customers when their computer connects to a dialler and also when there are dramatic increases in their bills.

BT Modem Protection is a free software download, which will prevent a computer dialling higher-cost premium rate or international numbers, even if dialler software is present. Customers will receive a warning if their modem begins to dial any number other than a list of 'approved numbers', such as the national call and freephone numbers used by Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

The other initiative being introduced by BT is a new early warning alert of customers affected by diallers. The system will send a warning alert from BT, in the form of a text message or voice message, to the customer's landline, if their bill rises dramatically above its usual pattern in a day or a call is made to a destination suspected of operating unregistered diallers.

Customers who are concerned about their bill will be given a BT number to call. BT have also said that if a customer has connected to an internet dialler and wanted to stop it from happening again, BT would be able to place an immediate premium rate bar on the line or suggest other options, such as international barring.

Both of the products have undergone successful trials in Northern Ireland, BT reported, and the company plans to make both of them available to all BT customers from May.

BT said that almost two million customers are now using their call-barring tools, which include a free premium rate barring option, customer-controlled barring and the premium and international bar, which costs £1.75 per month.

Commenting on the new initiatives, Gavin Patterson, Group Managing Director, Consumer and Ventures, said: “BT has led the way in trying to tackle this very distressing issue. Although we haven’t created this problem, we have ploughed resources and a tremendous amount of time into developing new products to help our customers. We hope these will build on our previous efforts, including raising customer awareness, which has resulted in more people making the choice to avoid diallers completely by taking up our existing call-barring tools. We now want to ensure there are even stronger safeguards for our customers, who we would urge to make use of these new options to protect themselves. "

(KmcA)